A Myrtle Beach felon who allegedly threatened officers on Facebook was sentenced to prison on a gun charge on Tuesday.
Anthony Scott Hunt, 38, of Myrtle Beach, was sentenced in federal court in Florence for felon in possession of a firearm, a press release from Sherri A. Lydon United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina says. U.S. District Judge R. Bryan Harwell sentenced Hunt to five years in federal prison with three years of supervised release to follow.
Evidence presented at a guilty plea hearing established that on February 19, a complainant met with an officer at the Horry County Police Department regarding “some disturbing Facebook posts” by Hunt, according to the release. These posts “were directed toward Horry County police and Drug Enforcement Unit.”
In the posts, Hunt “referenced DEU in Horry County and stated he was ‘taking these…cops to war’ and that he had automatic weapons, ammunition, and body armor,” states the release. Hunt also reportedly stated he is “stalking my guns ups” and “ready for war.”
According to the release, HCPD located, on the Facebook account, a photo of Hunt wearing “what appeared to be a ‘Raiders’ jersey and hat, bandana mask, and beaded bracelets while holding what appeared to be a Beretta pistol.”
HCPD detectives obtained a search warrant for the property where Hunt live and found a Beretta .45 caliber handgun, loaded with ammunition, as well as “the jersey, hat, bandana, and bracelets Hunt was depicted wearing in his Facebook picture,” the release says. “Prior to his possession of the firearm, Hunt had been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year. “
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the HCPD, Horry County Sheriff’s Office, Horry County-Myrtle Beach Violent Crimes Task Force, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Bomb Team.