Charleston felon convicted on gun charges

United States Attorney Bill N. Nettles stated today that Robert L. Gillikin, age 44, of Goose Creek, South Carolina, was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and possessing stolen weapons. Senior United States District Judge P. Michael Duffy sentenced Gillikin to 235 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release. Judge Duffy sentenced Gillikin as armed career criminal and career offender, given his criminal history.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that law enforcement responded to the Woodland Lakes subdivision in Goose Creek, SC, on July 4, 2009, after a witness reported seeing
Gillikin exit the rear of a home before leaving on a moped with a shotgun wrapped in a towel. When officers arrived in the neighborhood, Gillikin ignored commands to stop and continued driving the moped for a brief period before losing control and falling. Gillikin then dropped two shotguns and a jar of change before fleeing on foot. Within minutes officers observed Gillikin exit a trash can adjacent to one residence before jumping a fence, where he was apprehended by a civilian witness.

Mr. Nettles stated that the case was investigated by agents of the Goose Creek Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Assistant United States Attorney Nick Bianchi of the Charleston office handled the case.

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