Former Store Operator Sentenced For Being A Felon In Possession Of Firearms and Ammunition

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – June 16, 2021, Clinton P. Wilborn, 47, was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release by the Honorable Curtis L. Collier in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Wilborn earlier pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).           

According to court records, in April 2019, investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), and Chattanooga Police Department Gun Team responded to Discount Depot located at 6308 Highway 58 in Chattanooga following reports that the store operator was a convicted felon and illegally selling firearms from the business. Following a search of the premises, investigators recovered a large amount of assorted ammunition, firearm magazines, and 14 firearms—including rifles, shotguns, and pistols—hidden in various locations on the property. One of the firearms was stolen. During an interview with an ATF Special Agent, Wilborn, the store operator, admitted to possessing the firearms and stated he knew it was illegal to possess firearms due to his status as a convicted felon.         

"This successful prosecution is the direct result of collaboration between federal and local law enforcement, "said Acting United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. "We value these relationships and look forward to continuing to work with our law enforcement partners to combat the illegal possession of firearms in the Eastern District of Tennessee."

“It is imperative to keep firearms out of the hands of convicted felons and to prevent the sale of illegal firearms.  ATF will continue to work in conjunction with and support local law enforcement agencies to prosecute those individuals who illegally possess and sell firearms,” stated Terry M. Jones, Resident Agent in Charge of ATF Chattanooga Field Office.

Chattanooga Chief of Police David Roddy said, “the dedicated teamwork by Chattanooga Police Investigators and our partners with the ATF and United States Attorney's Office has resulted, yet again, in the successful removal of crime guns and a criminal in Chattanooga. By working together, these law enforcement professionals have taken guns out of circulation and prevented a Wilborn from furthering the spread of gun violence.”

Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Brown represented the United States. Brown is a Special Assistant City Attorney with the Chattanooga Police Department assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute violations of federal firearm and drug laws.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive national strategy that creates local partnerships with law enforcement agencies to effectively enforce existing gun laws. It provides more options to prosecutors, allowing them to utilize local, state, and federal laws to ensure that criminals who commit gun crime face tough sentences. PSN gives each federal district the flexibility it needs to focus on individual challenges that a specific community face.

                                                                                          ###