Davante Jamar Moore, 34, of Columbia, was sentenced on July 24 to more than four years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis imposed a sentence of 57 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to evidence from the investigation, officers with the Columbia Police Department conducted a lawful traffic stop on March 29, 2024. Moore was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle. During the stop, a police K9 alerted to narcotics. Officers then searched the vehicle and found a yellow backpack containing marijuana in a plastic bag, various bags, a scale, a container with white powder inside, and a loaded firearm.
Moore is prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous convictions for strong arm robbery and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is described as “the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe.” The statement continues: “Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina protects communities across South Carolina through criminal prosecutions and civil litigation with its team of 120 prosecutors and support professionals; it also represents the federal government in these matters, according to the official website.