Maleik Houseal, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, South Carolina 2018
Newberry Man Sentenced to 77 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm Charge
Columbia, South Carolina --- Maleik Houseal, age 23, of Newberry, was sentenced to 77 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to evidence presented to the court, a shooting occurred on September 16, 2017, between a group of rival gang members from Newberry outside the Empire Supper Club in the Vista entertainment district of Columbia. The investigation revealed that Houseal had been shot in the hip two weeks earlier and was involved in an ongoing gang dispute in Newberry.
Houseal went to the parking lot and retrieved a firearm from the top of a car tire, where he had stored it, and returned to the sidewalk area outside of the club, where he encountered the other group of individuals from Newberry who were headed to their cars in the parking lot. As the other group left the club parking lot, they fired weapons from their cars in Houseal’s direction, striking Houseal and others.
Houseal ran after the cars while firing his 9mm handgun in their direction, discharging all 15 rounds. He then discarded the handgun in a pile of chairs outside the club, where it was later recovered.
Houseal’s extensive criminal record includes prior state convictions for burglary 2nd degree, carrying a firearm in a public building/adjacent area, carrying an unlawful weapon (two separate convictions), burglary 3rd degree, obstruction of justice, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. At the time of the September 2017 shooting, Houseal was both on state probation and on state bonds for incidents that occurred after his release from the South Carolina Department of Corrections in May 2017.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis of Columbia sentenced Houseal to 77 months in federal prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Columbia Police Department, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. It was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s violent crime reduction efforts.
Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.
The investigation showed that Houseal had stored the firearm on the top of a car tire and retrieved it when he went to the parking lot. He was also found to have been involved in an ongoing gang dispute in Newberry.
This case is a prime example of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to reducing violent crime in our communities.
The defendant, Maleik Houseal, was sentenced to 77 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Houseal pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis of Columbia.
The case was investigated by the FBI, Columbia Police Department, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
Houseal is currently serving his 77-month sentence.
He was also placed on 3 years of court-ordered supervision after his release from prison.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to reducing violent crime in our communities.
This case is an example of the Office’s efforts to hold individuals accountable for their actions.
Houseal’s sentence is a result of his guilty plea and the evidence presented in court.
Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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