Two Plead Guilty to Federal Firearm Charges Arising from Lexington County Home Invasion

Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated that Brandon J. Thompson, age 31, and Quintrell Morris, age 19, both of Columbia, plead guilty in federal court. Thompson plead guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, use/carry/possess/brandish of firearms during and in relation to and in furtherance of a crime of violence, and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1951(a), 922(g)(1), and 924(c)(1)(A). Morris plead guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy to use/carry/possess/brandish of firearms during and in relation to and in furtherance of a crime of violence, use/carry/possess/brandish of firearms during and in relation to and in furtherance of a crime of violence, and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1951(a), 922(g)(1), 924(c)(1)(A), and 924(o). United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis, of Columbia, accepted the guilty pleas and will impose sentences after she has reviewed the presentence reports, which will be prepared by the United States Probation Office.

Evidence presented in court established that on the early morning hours of December 30, 2017, deputies with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call referencing a home invasion on Maple View Drive. Upon approaching the residence, deputies noticed the door open, entered the home, and found two armed men, Thompson and Morris. After detaining both Thompson and Morris, deputies located a female, who had been tied up, and her children, one of whom had called 911. The female advised that they had forced her to open a safe and give them the money from it. Deputies seized a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun from Thompson and a loaded Bushmaster .223 caliber rifle from Morris. A ballistic vest was also seized from Thompson’s vehicle, which was located nearby. The investigation revealed that Thompson and Morris went to this home in an effort to rob the homeowners of proceeds from various businesses they operated.

Thompson and Morris are both prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon their prior state convictions. Thompson has prior state convictions for armed robbery and assault with intent to kill. Morris, a gang member who was on state probation at the time, has prior state convictions for possession of a stolen motor vehicle and unlawful carrying of a weapon.  

Thompson and Morris face the following penalties: a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release on the Hobbs Act robbery charges; a maximum of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release on the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge; and a mandatory minimum of 7 years imprisonment and a maximum of life, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and 5 years of supervised release on the use/carry/possess/brandish a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence charge.  

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and was prosecuted as part of Project CeaseFire, a joint federal, state and local initiative focused upon aggressively prosecuting firearm cases in an effort to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a crime reduction strategy originally launched in 2001. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority and reinstituted PSN nationwide. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office handled the case.

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