Cave Junction Man Gets 14+ Years for Meth, Guns and Flight

A Cave Junction man with a history of crime has been sentenced to over 14 years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine and 12 firearms while on state supervision.

William Thomas Gillespie, 39, of Cave Junction, Oregon, was sentenced to 173 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release. Gillespie was arrested in White City, Oregon on April 6, 2020, after attempting to deliver about 174 grams of methamphetamine.

At the time of his arrest, Gillespie possessed six baggies of methamphetamine and a digital scale. After he consented to a search of his residence, investigators seized 12 firearms, including an AR-15 and multiple AK-style rifles. Three of the firearms were found to be stolen and one had an obliterated serial number.

Gillespie was released from custody pending trial, but absconded from his supervised release in January 2023. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and he was eventually located and arrested in Bandon, Oregon on September 13, 2023.

The investigation was conducted by the Rogue Area Drug Enforcement Team (RADE), a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. RADE includes members from Oregon State Police, the Grants Pass Police Department, Josephine County Probation & Parole, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

“This lengthy prison sentence is a just outcome for a man who poses a significant danger to the community,” said Nathan J. Lichvarick, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eugene and Medford Branch Offices. “We thank our partners on the RADE for their dedication and commitment over many months to bringing Mr. Gillespie to justice.”

The case was prosecuted by Judith R. Harper, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “With Mr. Gillespie’s lengthy criminal record involving drug distribution, illegal firearms, and flight from supervised release, this significant sentence is well warranted,” said Jonathan Blais, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Field Division.