Evergreen Reporter

A federal jury in Columbia, South Carolina, has found Kelsey Antonio McCallum guilty of illegal gun trafficking. The 27-year-old from Sumter was convicted after evidence showed he and his sister, Daeja Hodge, conspired to buy and resell firearms for profit. Between 2020 and 2022, McCallum made false statements to acquire firearms from dealers in Columbia, Sumter, the Upstate, and Georgia. He falsely claimed these firearms were for personal use but intended to sell them.

McCallum transported the guns to Maryland for sale. The scheme involved over 100 firearms, many of which ended up with felons or at crime scenes in Baltimore. Some were also sold in North Carolina. During the trial, more than 30 firearms and ammunition recovered by law enforcement in Baltimore were presented as evidence.

Hodge admitted her involvement before McCallum's trial began.

McCallum faces up to 10 years in federal prison along with a possible $250,000 fine, restitution, and three years of supervised release following imprisonment. Sentencing will be determined by United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis after reviewing a report from the U.S. Probation Office.

The investigation benefited from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), which aids law enforcement by linking ballistic evidence across crime scenes to disrupt cycles of violence involving firearms.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. On May 26, 2021, the department launched an enhanced strategy under PSN focusing on community trust, supporting preventive community organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation with support from local agencies across South Carolina, Georgia, Maryland, and North Carolina. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher D. Taylor and William K. Witherspoon are prosecuting the case.