Columbia man sentenced to prison for firearm charge

Image: Department of Justice (D.O.J.)

Image: Department of Justice (D.O.J.)

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– A Midlands man has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, said the Justice Department.

Evidence presented in a court showed that on the evening of September 16, 2020, deputies with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) were called to a neighborhood off Shop Road in reference to a shooting.

While on the way there, a deputy saw a Dodge Challenger, driven by 36-year-old Jasper Orlando Sumpter parked in a roadway.

When the deputy attempted to approach the vehicle to conduct a welfare check, Sumpter sped off and led law enforcement on a high-speed chase down Shop Road, said Richland County deputies.

During the pursuit Sumpter crashed in a ditch and attempted to run from the vehicle. He was eventually arrested and deputies determined the vehicle was stolen from Virginia.

During a vehicle search, deputies said they found a .40 caliber pistol on the passenger floorboard and a 9mm pistol on the ground near the driver’s side door.

While Sumpter was in custody, other RCSD deputies responded to the scene of the shooting and collected a mixture of 9mm and .40 caliber shell casings found directly in front of the home and submitted them for NIBIN testing.

Testing revealed the shell casings recovered from the scene of the shooting were linked to both firearms in Sumpter’s possession, according to a Justice Department press release.

Footage from the neighborhood showed Sumpter leaving the scene of the shooting around the time the calls were made in reference to the shooting.

He has prior convictions for unlawful carrying of a pistol, criminal domestic violence, simple assault and battery, driving under suspension, two convictions for being a habitual traffic offender, and obtaining prescription drugs by fraud.