Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
COLUMBIA, S.C. —James Robert Peterson, 38, of Prosperity, has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on June 11, 2024, Peterson was found in possession of a firearm while law enforcement attempted to arrest him on a felony state warrant. He has prior convictions that prohibit him from possessing firearms. Peterson used the gun to fatally shoot South Carolina Law Enforcement Division K9 Officer Coba during the incident.
United States District Judge Jacquelyn D. Austin sentenced Peterson to 150 months imprisonment, to be followed by a term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Peterson was sentenced to 33 years in state prison earlier this year for first-degree burglary, attempted murder, cruelty to a police dog, and resisting arrest with a deadly weapon.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elle E. Klein is prosecuting the case.
###