SC man bought more than 100 guns, many ended up in the hands of felons, prosecutor says
A Midlands man and his sister are guilty of buying more than 100 guns and reselling them for a profit in other parts of the east coast, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
A federal jury in Columbia convicted 27-year-old Sumter resident Kelsey Antonio McCallum of illegally trafficking firearms, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
During his trial in federal court it was shown that McCallum and his sister, Daeja Hodge, bought guns that were resold for a profit, according to the release. Hodge pleaded guilty to her role in the crime prior to McCallum’s trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
“Most of those firearms ended up in the hands of felons prohibited from possessing firearms or at crime scenes in the Baltimore area,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
At least 13 times from 2020-2022, McCallum lied to buy guns from dealers in Columbia, Sumter and the Upstate region of South Carolina, according to the release. McCallum also bought firearms in Georgia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
During each purchase, McCallum falsely said that the guns were intended for his personal use, knowing that he intended to sell them, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. McCallum would then illegally transport the weapons to Maryland and sell them there, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
McCallum and Hodge acquired over 100 firearms, according to the release. At trial, the prosecutors introduced more than 30 guns and ammunition found by law enforcement in the Baltimore area, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
McCallum faces a maximum punishment of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, in addition to restitution as well as 3 years of court-ordered supervision after being released from a potential prison sentence, according to the release. U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis will sentence McCallum after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Information about Hodge’s punishment was not available.
The ATF investigated the case along with local agencies in South Carolina, Georgia, Maryland and North Carolina, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Taylor and William Witherspoon led the prosecution, according to the release. Attorneys from the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Columbia represented McCallum and Hodge, records show.
In 2021, McCallum pleaded guilty to a cruelty to children (torture, deprivation) charge from a 2019 arrest, Sumter County court records show.
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