Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney A. Lance Crick announced today that Corey Kimani Sanders, age 30, of Columbia, pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
Evidence presented to the court showed that early Sunday morning, Sept. 15, 2019, officers with the Columbia Police Department responded to a “ShotSpotter" alert of numerous shots fired on Oakland Avenue. The technology known as “ShotSpotter" relies on acoustic sensors to pinpoint where gunfire occurs. Information from the sensors is sent to officers of the Columbia Police Department and 9-1-1 dispatchers through real-time digital alerts. Upon canvassing the area, officers located Sanders and learned that he was in possession of two firearms, a Glock 9mm handgun and a Diamondback 5.56mm pistol with a 50-round drum magazine, as well as ammunition. The investigation also revealed that Sanders was a felon and prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. Sanders, a gang member out on state bonds at the time of the incident, has prior state convictions for assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and assault with intent to kill, both of which involved shootings.
Sanders faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs accepted the guilty plea and will sentence him after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
The charge against Sanders was the result of an investigation by the Columbia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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. ##
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
