Department of Justice

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Missouri, man, who displayed a firearm during a drive-by shooting at a local convenience store, pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm.

Victor Seth Kee, 20, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, an unknown person in a white van fired several shots at Kee and two other individuals who were walking through the parking lot in front of Mari’s Convenience Store, 1210 E. Prathersville Road, in Columbia at approximately 10 a.m. on Feb. 2, 2019. Surveillance video captured Kee pulling a black handgun from his front right pants pocket after the shots were fired. The three men got into a Kia Forte with a temporary tag displayed on the rear bumper.

About 10 minutes later, another officer conducted a traffic stop on the Kia Forte near Bold Venture and Derby Ridge Road, and took four subjects into custody. Kee was a passenger in the back seat of the vehicle. After all four occupants were restrained, officers found a loaded HK 9mm semi-automatic handgun on the back seat where Kee had been seated. The handgun had been reported as stolen.

Although the officers tried to interview all four subjects and obtain statements pertaining to the shooting and the handgun, they received no cooperation from any of the occupants in the car.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Kee has prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle, resisting arrest, burglary, and assault.

Under federal statutes, Kee is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Maness. It was investigated by the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available on-line at

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