Sumter Man Sentenced for Federal Firearm and Drug Violations
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson sentenced Leandre Budden, a/k/a “Bubba,” age 35, to 235 months of incarceration as a result of his conviction for Possession of Firearms and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g), and Possession with Intent to Distribute Quantities of Cocaine and Crack Cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C).
Evidence presented in court established that in April and May of 2017, Budden sold both firearms and drugs throughout Sumter County, including a semiautomatic weapon. Budden is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms based upon his prior separate state convictions for armed robbery, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, grand larceny, and burglary.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Sumter County Sherriff’s Office. Budden was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project Ceasefire is South Carolina’s continued application of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Assistant United States Attorney Alyssa Leigh Richardson of the Columbia office handled the case.
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Alyssa Richardson (803) 929-3000