Columbia Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm Charge

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Jasper Orlando Sumpter, 36, of Gadsden, was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on the evening of Sept. 16, 2020, deputies with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) were dispatched to a residential neighborhood off Shop Road in Columbia, in reference to a shooting. While enroute, a deputy observed a Dodge Challenger, driven by Sumpter, parked in the roadway. The deputy attempted to approach the vehicle to conduct a welfare check when Sumpter sped off and led law enforcement on a high-speed chase down Shop Road. During the pursuit, the driver drove at speeds more than 90 MPH before crashing in a ditch and attempting to run from the vehicle.

Sumpter was subsequently arrested, and deputies determined the vehicle was stolen out of Virginia. During the search of the vehicle law enforcement located a .40 caliber pistol on the passenger floorboard and a 9mm pistol on the ground near the driver’s side door. Sumpter was the sole occupant of the vehicle. 

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 residence and submitted them for NIBIN testing. The testing revealed the shell casings recovered from the scene of the shooting were linked to both firearms in Sumpter’s possession. Surveillance footage from the neighborhood, showed Sumpter leaving the scene of the shooting at a high rate of speed around the time the initial calls were made in reference to the shooting.

Sumpter is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon his prior felony convictions. Sumpter 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.

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Sumpter to 50 months imprisonment, to be followed by a two-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana N. Gore is prosecuting the case.

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