Columbia man on supervised release from prison arrested again, prosecutor says. Here’s why
A Columbia man who was on supervised release faces more time in federal prison following a conviction on a gun crime, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Daisean Montez Skeeters, 30, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Wednesday in a news release.
Skeeters, who the U.S. Attorney’s Office said has a history of leading a street gang, was on supervised release when he was found in possession of two firearms, according to the release.
The discovery was made July 17, when Columbia Police Department officers responded to a domestic violence call at Skeeters’ home, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Officers learned there might be firearms in the home, and because Skeeters was already on federal supervised release for a previous federal firearms conviction, agents also spoke to his U.S. Probation Officer, who said he was also advised of weapons in the home, according to the release.
ATF agents got a search warrant and found two guns, including one loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Agents obtained a second search warrant for Skeeters’ DNA to compare to swabs taken from those firearms, and DNA testing confirmed an extremely high probability that Skeeters’ DNA was present on one of the guns, according to the release.
Skeeters entered a guilty plea to possessing that firearm as a convicted felon, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Because he was already on federal supervised release following a previous conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Skeeters faces a separate penalty for violating the terms of that release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
As a result of that July incident, Skeeters is also facing a second-degree domestic violence charge in a South Carolina court, Richland County judicial records show. On Aug. 1, Skeeters posted a $75,000 bond on the domestic violence charge, according to court records.
He is awaiting a sentence on the latest federal charge. Skeeters faces a maximum punishment of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, as well as 3 years of supervision following any term behind bars, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
According to a sentencing memorandum filed by the U.S. government in his prior case, Skeeters has a history of leading a street gang that was responsible for a substantial disruption of local communities through gun violence, organized drug distribution and fraud schemes. Information about the gang’s name and primary area of operation was not available.
U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis will sentence Skeeters after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
In addition to the ATF and Columbia police, the case was investigated by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which provided forensic assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott Daniels and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sanford are prosecuting the case. Columbia attorney Seth Rose is listed as Skeeters’ lawyer for the domestic violence case, court records show.
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This story was originally published October 23, 2024 at 10:59 AM with the headline "Columbia man on supervised release from prison arrested again, prosecutor says. Here’s why."
