James Robert Peterson, a 38-year-old resident of Prosperity, South Carolina, has been sentenced to over 12 years in federal prison. This follows his guilty plea for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the investigation, on June 11, 2024, Peterson was found with a firearm while law enforcement officers attempted to arrest him on a felony state warrant. Due to prior convictions, he is prohibited from possessing firearms. During the incident, Peterson used the weapon to fatally shoot K9 Officer Coba from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
United States District Judge Jacquelyn D. Austin handed down a sentence of 150 months imprisonment for Peterson. This will be followed by court-ordered supervision as there is no parole in the federal system. Earlier this year, Peterson received a state prison sentence of 33 years for charges including first-degree burglary, attempted murder, cruelty to a police dog, and resisting arrest with a deadly weapon.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department; and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elle E. Klein is responsible for prosecuting the case.
