CJ Man Sentenced to More Than 14 Years in Prison for Weapon & Drug Crimes
A Cave Junction man with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced to more than 14 years in federal this week for illegally possessing methamphetamine and 12 firearms while on state supervision.
According to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon, 39-year-old William Thomas Gillespie was sentenced Thursday to 173 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Court documents show Gillespie was arrested in White City on April 6, 2020, while attempting to deliver approximately 174 grams of meth. At the time of his arrest, he possessed six baggies of meth and a digital scale. During a consent search of his residence, investigators located and seized 12 firearms including an AR-15 and multiple AK-style rifles. Three were of the firearms were stolen.
On November 5, 2020, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a three-count indictment charging Gillespie with Illegally Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted Felon, Illegally Possessing a Short-Barrel Rifle and Possession Meth with Intent to Distribute. He was released from custody pending trial in June 2021 and in August 2021, pleaded guilty to the felony firearm and narcotics possession charges.
In January 2023, Gillespie absconded from his supervised release and a warrant was issued for his arrest. On September 13, 2023, he was located and arrested in Bandon.
The case was investigated by Rogue Area Drug Enforcement (RADE), a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program. RADE includes members from the Oregon State Police, Grants Pass Police Department, Josephine County Community Corrections and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
