Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Columbia, South Carolina - United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Quintrell Morris, age 20, of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced to over 22 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy to use/carry/possess/brandish firearms during and in relation to and in furtherance of a crime of violence, use/carry/possess/brandish firearms during and in relation to and in furtherance of a crime of violence, and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Evidence presented to the court showed that in the early morning hours of December 30, 2017, deputies with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office responded to 911 call referencing a home invasion on Maple View Drive. Upon approaching the residence, deputies noticed the door open, entered the home, and found two armed men, Morris and his co-defendant Brandon Thompson. After detaining both Morris and Thompson, deputies located a female, who had been tied up, and her children, one of whom had called 911. The female advised that they had forced her to open a safe and give them the money from it. Deputies seized a loaded Bushmaster AR-15 .223 caliber assault rifle from Morris and a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun from Thompson. A ballistic vest was also seized from Thompson’s vehicle, which was located nearby. The investigation revealed that Morris and Thompson went to this home in an effort to rob the homeowners of proceeds from various businesses they operated.

Federal law prohibits both Morris and Thompson from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon their prior state convictions. Morris, a gang member who had just been placed on state probation two months prior to the incident, has prior state convictions for possession of a stolen motor vehicle and unlawful carrying of a weapon.  Thompson has prior state convictions for armed robbery and assault with intent to kill. Thompson has also plead guilty in federal court and is awaiting sentencing.

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Morris to a total of 272 months in federal prison, to be followed by a 5-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of 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. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

#####