Fugitive - Ishmel Lemon

 

Authorities are searching once again for Ishmel Lemon who failed to appear in court on a home invasion case. Lemon was tried in his absence and found guilty.

 

 

 

 

Lemon is one of those frequent flyer felons we have written about a number of times. Our first story was in May of 2013 when Lemon and other family members were arrested on drug charges. We wrote about him again in October of 2013 when Lemon was charged with the home invasion. Our next story on Lemon was in January of 2015 when he was charged with shooting at someone on Seacroft Road.

Let’s run down the criminal history of this fugitive one more time.

 

2004 Charges

Armed Robbery - Reduced to Strong Arm Robbery by the 9th Circuit Solicitor. Sentenced by Judge Thomas “Felon’s Friend” Hughston to a YOA term not to exceed 1 to 6 years, suspended in favor of shock incarceration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2007 Charges:

Possession of Crack Cocaine - Dismissed by the 9th Circuit Solicitor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2009 Charges:

Trafficking Cocaine - Dismissed by the 9th Circuit Solicitor.

Trafficking Cocaine - Dismissed by the 9th Circuit Solicitor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2011 Charges:

Criminal Domestic Violence of a High & Aggravated Nature - Reduced to CDV 1st offense by the 9th Circuit Solicitor. Sentenced to 30 days time served.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In April of 2011 Lemon was charged in a murder on James Island. Lemon was charged with Obstruction of Justice and three (3) counts of Accessory After the Fact of Murder and Attempted Murder. The 9th Circuit Solicitor dismissed all of those charges in March of 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image of the murder scene at the Kangaroo gas station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lemon’s co-defendant was convicted on charges of murder, attempted murder and a reduced charge of assault & battery high & aggravated. He was sentenced to 20 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2012 Charges (while free on bond on the murder related charges):

2nd or Subsequent Offense of Possession of Marijuana - Pending. Free on a $1,000 bond. The 9th Circuit Solicitor attempted to have that bond revoked in May of 2014 but the request was denied.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2013 Charges:

Distribution of Cocaine - Pending. Free on a $100,000 bond.

Distribution of Crack Cocaine - Pending. Free on a $100,000 bond.

PWID Near a School - Pending. Free on a $50,000 bond.

 

The 9th Circuit Solicitor also attempted to have these bonds revoked in May of 2014, but a judge would not cooperate and Lemon remained free.

 

 

 

 

 

In October of 2013 Lemon was charged with 1st Degree Burglary in the home invasion. He was found guilty in his absence in March of 2015. We won’t know the sentence until Lemon is in custody and goes before the judge, but we see the initial plan in this case was to let a judge sentenced him to some ridiculously low number of years for the home invasion. Then the 9th Circuit Solicitor would dismiss the drug distribution charges above. That might actually be prudent given the well known atmosphere of “docket clearing” in our prosecutor’s offices and in light of the fact that very few judges seem to understand the concept of consecutive sentences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We can’t wait to see how this turns out.