Hill Gets 15 Years for Meth & Stolen Gun

COLUMBUS, GA – Travis Hill, 35, of Columbus, Georgia, will spend the next 15 years in federal prison after a judge slammed him with a hefty sentence for dealing methamphetamine and illegally possessing a stolen firearm. The sentencing, handed down November 24, 2014, by Chief United States District Judge Clay D. Land, sends a clear message: guns and drugs equal hard time.

According to court documents, Hill pleaded guilty on July 25, 2014, to charges stemming from a raid on his residence on October 15, 2013. Law enforcement discovered a loaded Taurus .40 caliber pistol – complete with a laser attachment – alongside a digital scale, baggies containing drug residue, and over 40 grams of suspected methamphetamine. Hill readily admitted ownership of both the drugs and the weapon.

The situation went from bad to worse when investigators traced the firearm back to a May 13, 2013, break-in at a local storage unit. The gun had been reported stolen, adding another layer of criminality to Hill’s already mounting charges. As a convicted felon – with prior convictions in 1997 and 2011 – Hill was already prohibited from possessing any firearm, making the discovery particularly damning.

Judge Land sentenced Hill to 124 months for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, with an additional consecutive 60 months tacked on for the firearm charge. The total sentence: 184 months – a full 15 years behind bars. It’s a substantial penalty, reflecting the severity of the combined offenses and the danger Hill posed to the community.

“Guns and drugs don’t mix. I hope the message from this sentence will be that gun crimes really do equal hard time,” stated United States Attorney Michael J. Moore. He praised the collaborative effort of the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) for successfully removing a dangerous individual from the streets.

Assistant United States Attorney Crawford Seals prosecuted the case. Anyone with further inquiries can contact Pamela Lightsey, Public Affairs Specialist for the United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603. This case serves as a stark reminder that federal agencies are actively targeting drug traffickers and those who illegally possess firearms in the Middle District of Georgia.

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