Contact Person: Lance Crick (864) 282-2100
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Tyronzo Alexander Walker, age 41, of Greenville, was sentenced yesterday afternoon in federal court by United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks of Charleston, to a term of 57 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing last year and the sentencing hearing yesterday, established that on March 3, 2016, members of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at a residence on Henderson Avenue. During the search deputies located several firearms, including a Taurus 9mm pistol, as well as quantities of marijuana and cocaine. Walker pled guilty to possession of the Taurus 9mm pistol.
Walker was arrested federally as a part of "Operation Real-Time." The goal of this program is to identify individuals for federal prosecution with significant criminal histories who continue to actively possess firearms in the Upstate community. In addition to the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, Real Time’s core partners include the Greenville Police Department, the Anderson Police Department; the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services; the South Carolina Highway Patrol; United States Probation; the Department of Homeland Security; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the 13th Circuit Solicitor’s Office; and the United States Attorney’s Office. Since August of 2015, the initiative has resulted in the expedited federal prosecution of some 90 defendants and seizure of approximately 110 firearms as well as assorted ammunition from prohibited persons.
Greenville County Sheriff Will Lewis and his office are crucial partners in this effort. "The Greenville County Sheriff's Office is committed to removing illegal weapons from violent offenders and are very glad to be a part of this program and will offer any assistance we can."
U.S. Attorney Beth Drake commended the partnership between the state and federal agencies that led to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the U.S. Attorney’s Office adopting the case, "We work best when we work together. This 'real time' identification of high risk offenders is smart policing, and we welcome the opportunity to work alongside our state chiefs and sheriffs in taking violent repeat offenders out of our communities."
The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office along with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Max Cauthen in the Greenville U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.
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