Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Maurice Darnell Geter, a/k/a “Rease", age 35, of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, for possession of a firearm during a violent crime or drug trafficking crime, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis of Columbia sentenced Geter to 262 months (21.8 years) incarceration followed by 5 years of supervised probation. Geter was also sentenced to 2 years’ incarceration for violation of a previous term of supervised probation. Both sentences to run concurrently.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that on Jan. 26, 2015, the Columbia Police Department utilized a confidential informant to make a purchase of crack cocaine and a gun from Geter. The informant was given money to make the purchases from Geter. The informant called and arranged to meet Geter at a bus station. When the informant arrived, Geter got into the car and directed him to a residence.
When they arrived at the location, Geter exited the vehicle to get the gun. He returned a short time later with a gun that he gave to the informant without the gun magazine. When the informant asked Geter for the magazine, Geter initially refused. The informant also asked Geter for some crack cocaine. Geter gave him a small amount of crack and the informant asked for more but Geter did not bring it with him. The informant told Geter to call him when he got more crack and refused to buy the crack.
After discussing the issue about the gun, Geter agreed to provide the magazine for the gun. Geter took the gun and exited the car again. When he returned, he had the gun and the magazine. Geter ejected one of the bullets from the gun and began to wipe off his fingerprints. The informant told Geter that he did not need to do this. Geter got anxious and yelled at the informant. Geter then racked the slide of the gun, pointed it at the informant, and told him that someone is going to get shot. Geter then demanded all of the informant’s money and attempted to take the informant’s cellphone. The informant refused to give Geter his cellphone. Geter got out of the car and continued to order the informant to give him his cellphone. When he refused, Geter walked away and left with the money and the gun.
The case was investigated by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Columbia Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney William K. Witherspoon of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. ##
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
