GREENVILLE, S.C. — Khalil DeShawn Gilliam, 31, of Greenville, has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on July 29, 2024, a Greenville Police Department officer patrolling the area near South Pleasantburg Drive and Lowndes Hill Road observed a black sedan driven by Gilliam, whom the officer recognized from prior encounters and believed to have a suspended South Carolina driver’s license. After confirming the vehicle was registered to Gilliam and that his license was suspended, the officer conducted a traffic stop. Gilliam initially provided false identifying information but was subsequently confirmed as the driver and arrested for driving under suspension and providing false information to police. A search of the vehicle following his arrest revealed a loaded 9mm pistol with an extended magazine near the center console, along with three grams of fentanyl, four oxycodone pills, and a digital scale. Gilliam, who has four prior felony firearm convictions, is federally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
United States District Judge Jacquelyn D. Austin sentenced Gilliam to 84 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Greenville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Culbreath and Ryan Bondura prosecuted the case.
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Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — South Carolina — U.S. Department of Justice press release.