Columbia Man, Gang Member, Sentenced to 46 months in Federal Prison for Multiple Firearms Offenses

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —David Bryant III, 25, of Columbia, was sentenced to more than 46 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that on January 28, 2020, officers with the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force located Bryant in the passenger seat of a vehicle on Wilkes Road in Columbia and arrested him on an outstanding warrant. The arresting officers smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle and the driver confirmed marijuana was present. Officers searched the vehicle and found marijuana as well as a 12-gauge shotgun, a 9mm pistol, and .40 caliber pistol. The serial number on the 9mm pistol had been completely removed.

After law enforcement read Bryant his Miranda rights, he confirmed that all of the firearms belonged to him and that the .40 caliber pistol was given to him after it was stolen by a friend. At the time of his arrest, Bryant was a known member of a street gang, and his prior convictions for assault and battery 1^st degree and discharging a firearm into a dwelling disqualified him from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Bryant to 46 months in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the City of Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall is prosecuting the case.

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