Willie Roger Davis, a 35-year-old resident of Columbia, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The sentence was handed down after an investigation revealed that Davis was stopped by Columbia Police Department officers while driving a rental moving truck that the owner had reported as sought. According to evidence from the case, Davis exited the vehicle and walked toward officers, who then searched him and discovered a .357 revolver in his pants pocket. Davis admitted he had obtained the gun from a family member.
Davis has previous convictions for armed robbery, strong arm robbery, and burglary. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Davis to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
“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.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia Police Department investigated this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sanford prosecuted it.
