COLUMBIA, S.C. – Contaurus Dermont Smith, 46, of Columbia, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday. Smith’s sentence comes after an incident where he accidentally shot himself in the leg with an illegally possessed firearm.
The case stems from a shooting on June 30, 2023, on the 900 block of House Street in Columbia. According to evidence presented in court, Columbia Police Department officers responding to the scene found Smith lying in the street with a gunshot wound to his leg. Surveillance footage from CPD’s Real Time Crime Center revealed Smith had accidentally discharged the firearm, shooting himself.
The video also captured another individual retrieving an object from the scene and taking it into a nearby residence at 940 House Street. Based on that footage and witness statements, officers obtained a search warrant for the home. Inside, they discovered four firearms, including a weapon equipped with a machinegun conversion device enabling automatic fire.
Smith admitted to possessing the firearm he used to shoot himself, despite being a convicted felon prohibited from owning guns or ammunition. He was also held responsible for the machinegun found during the search. The court imposed a sentence above federal guidelines due to Smith’s extensive history of violent offenses and a prior federal conviction for firearm possession.
United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Smith to 63 months in prison, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Federal sentencing guidelines do not allow parole. The sentence was part of an upward variance requested by the government, citing Smith’s criminal history and the circumstances of the case.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Columbia Police Department as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Sanford prosecuted the case.
Smith’s case underscores the consequences of illegally possessing firearms and the commitment of federal and local authorities to reducing gun violence.