Terrance Lopez Mayo, a 33-year-old resident of Columbia, South Carolina, has been sentenced to 31 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
The incident leading to Mayo’s arrest occurred on November 13, 2023. According to investigators, officers responded after a witness reported that a male passenger in a vehicle had pointed a gun at him. Officers located the parked vehicle and approached it, at which point Mayo fled on foot. During the pursuit, he discarded a 9mm pistol. Authorities later determined that the firearm had been reported stolen. Mayo has a previous conviction for attempted armed robbery, which legally bars him from possessing firearms under federal law.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis imposed the sentence of 31 months imprisonment and ordered Mayo to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. Federal prisoners are not eligible for parole.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Major. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives along with the City of Columbia Police Department.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative designed to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and community groups. The Department of Justice updated its violent crime reduction strategy for PSN on May 26, 2021, emphasizing building trust within communities, supporting local organizations focused on violence prevention, prioritizing strategic enforcement efforts, and tracking outcomes.
"There is no parole in the federal system."
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