Columbia Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Tron Martelle Harrison, 40, of Columbia, was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm.

Evidence presented to the court showed that Harrison was stopped by the Columbia Police Department (CPD) for a traffic infraction on Oct. 27, 2023. While speaking to the officer, Harrison ate two multi-colored pills that were sitting on the center console. When the officer asked if he just consumed MDMA, Harrison nodded in agreement before spitting out one of them. Instead of complying with the officer's order to turn the car off, Harrison put it in gear and sped away. CPD officers chased Harrison's vehicle for more than nine miles at speeds exceeding 100mph before Harrison finally stopped after almost flipping his vehicle. During the chase, an officer saw Harrison throw an object from his vehicle and notified other officers of the location. Officers eventually recovered a 9mm pistol from the exact location where the officer saw it being thrown.

Harrison is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to prior felony convictions. In 2011, Harrison was convicted of criminal conspiracy related to an armed robbery. In 2012, Harrison was convicted of misprision of a felony related to a murder. Most recently, Harrison was convicted of the same federal firearm offense in 2016.

United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Tron Martelle Harrison to 63 months' imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This sentence came after the Government made a motion for an upward variance based on the extremely reckless nature of the chase and the number of firearm-related offenses Harrison has been convicted of in recent years. Judge Currie granted this motion in part, which allowed her to sentence Harrison above the sentencing guidelines applicable to his case.

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 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sanford is prosecuting the case.

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