Columbia Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Unlawful Possession of 60 Firearms and Distribution of Methamphetamine

COLUMBIA, S.C. —Christopher Miles Huntington, 33, of Lugoff, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and distribution of methamphetamine.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on multiple occasions in March through May 2023, Huntington sold 37 firearms, including stolen weapons, short-barreled rifles, and firearms with high-capacity magazines to undercover agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Huntington also sold more than 2,400 grams of methamphetamine to undercover agents during these transactions. On June 29, 2023, Huntington was arrested with 23 additional firearms. Huntington is a felon and prohibited from possessing firearms. Huntington has prior convictions for assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, burglary, grand theft of motor vehicle, and safecracking.

United States District Court Judge Sherri Lydon sentenced Huntington to 168 months in prison to be followed by a term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

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 (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), West Columbia Police Department, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department. The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office is handling the prosecution of additional defendants facing state charges related to this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elle E. Klein prosecuted the case.

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