FLORENCE, S.C. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.
FLORENCE, S.C. — Benjamin Lee Mercer, Sr., 54, of Florence, has pleaded guilty to stealing firearms from a dealer and illegally possessing firearms.
Mercer’s co-defendant and son, Benjamin Lee Mercer, Jr., 31, of Florence, previously pleaded guilty to stealing firearms from a dealer and brandishing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that around 2:52 a.m. on May 12, 2024, two men—later identified as Mercer, Sr. and Mercer, Jr.—burglarized the Palmetto State Armory, a federal firearms licensee in Florence. They stole 152 firearms. On May 22, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a trailer in Darlington associated with Mercer, Sr. and Mercer, Jr. and found 15 firearms, all of which were stolen from the Palmetto State Armory. Shortly before executing the search warrant, law enforcement saw Mercer, Sr. get into a truck and leave the trailer. Law enforcement followed Mercer, Sr., but he fled and evaded law enforcement. During the pursuit, Mercer, Sr. was captured on video discarding a firearm. Law enforcement recovered the firearm and confirmed it was stolen from the Palmetto State Armory.
On June 17, 2024, law enforcement used a confidential informant to arrange a controlled purchase of 21 firearms from Mercer, Jr. at the Darlington trailer. During the buy, Mercer, Jr. pulled out a handgun, pistol whipped the informant, and threatened to kill the informant. Ultimately, the informant threw their car keys and the buy money on the ground, which Mercer, Jr. took and then left in the informant’s car. Law enforcement caught up to Mercer, Jr., and a high-speed chase ensued through Darlington and Florence counties. During the chase, Mercer, Jr. pointed a firearm out of the driver’s side window and repeatedly fired at law enforcement. Mercer, Jr. fled to an apartment in Florence, where he barricaded himself inside but ultimately surrendered to law enforcement. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the apartment, where they found a loaded handgun along with the buy money taken from the informant.
Mercer, Jr. faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. Mercer, Sr. faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence both defendants after receiving and reviewing sentencing reports prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, the Florence Police Department, and the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hummel is prosecuting the case.
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