COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– A Columbia man has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, said the DOJ. On June 30, 2023, Columbia Police Department (CPD) officers found Contaurus Dermont Smith laying in the street with a gunshot wound to his leg after they responded to a shooting in the 900 block of House Street. CPD’s Real Time Crime Center surveillance camera in the area captured the incident and showed Smith accidentally shooting himself in the leg, according to the Justice Department. Also caught on camera was another person going back to the area of the accidental shooting, pick up an object, and move it inside the home at 940 House Street. Based on the footage and a statement from another witness, CPD officers secured a search warrant for the home. Evidence presented to the court showed that inside the home there were four different firearms, including one with a machine gun conversion device attached to it found. Smith accepted responsibility for possessing the firearm with which he shot himself as a convicted felon and the court held him responsible for possession of the machine gun found alongside the pistol. A United States district judge sentenced Smith to 63 months imprisonment which is to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. Categories: Local News, Richland Tags: Department of Justice, South Carolina Department of Justice