Greenville, South Carolina – In a shocking turn of events, Carlton Tyrone Nash, a 37-year-old man from Greenville, has been sentenced to 310 months (25.8 years) in federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.
The case began on Tuesday, March 22, 2016, when Nash, wearing a Hillary Clinton mask, forced entry into a residence in Greenville, South Carolina. He fired a shot from a .25 caliber pistol he obtained earlier that day, barely missing one of the residents of the house. Nash then dragged that resident from the home at gunpoint into the street where a fight ensued.
According to the investigation, while Nash and his initial victim were fighting, the victim’s roommate exited the house with a baseball bat, striking Nash in the head with the bat. After a blow to the head from the bat, Nash removed his now bloodied mask revealing his identity to the victims. Nash dropped the gun during the scuffle in the street and left his mask behind as he fled the scene.
The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) responded within minutes of receiving a 911 call from the initial victim. A forensic technician from the Greenville County Forensic Division collected evidence, including Nash’s DNA from the blood in the recovered mask. Based on their investigation, GCSO investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Nash and arrested him just days after the offense.
Nash was detained since the incident and remains in custody. His case was expedited for federal prosecution pursuant to “Operation Real-Time,” a multi-agency initiative aimed at identifying individuals with significant criminal histories who continue to actively possess firearms in the Upstate community.
“ATF is extremely appreciative of our partners and this collaborative effort to make our communities safer,” said Charlotte Field Division’s Special Agent in Charge C.J. Hyman. “ATF has committed our resources to help tackle illegal firearms possession and violent crime. That commitment, combined with the cooperation of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies, our federal partners, the 13th Circuit Solicitor’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, has resulted in a very successful effort with a long-term impact on violent crime in the upstate and beyond.”
U.S. Attorney Beth Drake commended the partnership between local, 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, sheriffs, and solicitors in taking violent crime to task.”
Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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