COLUMBIA, SC – Timothy Garrett Holmes, 22, of Anderson, South Carolina, is facing federal prison time after admitting to possessing a firearm and ammunition despite his status as a convicted felon. Holmes entered his guilty plea today in federal court in Greenville, a case born from the aggressive federal initiative dubbed “Operation Real Time.”
The bust unfolded on January 10, 2017, when Anderson City Police attempted a traffic stop. As officers approached, Holmes, a passenger in the vehicle, panicked and tossed a blue glass pipe containing methamphetamine residue out the moving car. He then attempted to discard another item towards the driver before police could secure the scene. The search revealed a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol on the floorboard, along with an extended magazine and a round chambered. But the danger didn’t stop there.
A search of the vehicle unearthed a backpack containing additional ammunition and, chillingly, two pipe bombs. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) was called in to safely detonate the homemade explosives. According to Holmes’ own admission to law enforcement, he’d purchased the gun “off the streets” for protection, fully aware his felony conviction barred him from legally owning one. He claimed the pipe bombs were given to him for the same reason. A convenient excuse for a dangerous cocktail of illegal weapons.
Holmes, already on state probation at the time of his arrest, now faces up to ten years in federal prison. He remains in federal custody awaiting sentencing after U.S. District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks reviews the presentence report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. This case highlights the ruthless efficiency of “Operation Real Time,” a program designed to target repeat offenders actively possessing firearms in the Upstate region of South Carolina.
“Operation Real Time” isn’t a solo act. It’s a multi-agency task force including the Anderson City Police Department, Greenville Police Department, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services, South Carolina Highway Patrol, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Since its launch in August 2015, the initiative has led to the expedited federal prosecution of 97 defendants and the seizure of approximately 130 firearms.
U.S. Attorney Beth Drake emphasized the importance of interagency cooperation, stating, “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.” First Assistant United States Attorney Lance Crick handled the prosecution. Contact Lance Crick at (864) 282-2100 for further information.
Related Federal Cases
- Anderson’s Nancy Marie Stein Sentenced for Bank Fraud and Environmental Crime · South Carolina
- Anderson Woman Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud · South Carolina
- Greenville Gunman Pleads Guilty to Felon in Possession Charges · South Carolina
- Lowery Gets 12+ Years for Guns & Heroin · South Carolina
- Simpsonville Felon Pleads Guilty to Firearm Possession · South Carolina
Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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