A Greenville man with four prior felony firearm convictions is headed to federal prison for seven years after police pulled him over and found a loaded 9mm pistol with an extended magazine, along with fentanyl and oxycodone pills, tucked inside his car. Khalil DeShawn Gilliam, 31, was sentenced to 84 months behind bars for being a felon in possession of a firearm, a punishment that will be followed by three years of court-ordered supervision.
The case traces back to July 29, 2024, when a Greenville Police Department officer patrolling near South Pleasantburg Drive and Lowndes Hill Road spotted a black sedan driven by Gilliam, according to WSPA 7News. The officer reportedly recognized Gilliam from prior encounters and believed his South Carolina driver's license was suspended, prompting a traffic stop. Records confirmed the vehicle was registered to Gilliam and that his license was in fact suspended.
During the stop, Gilliam gave officers false identifying information before he was ultimately confirmed as the driver, per the same report. He was arrested on the spot for driving under suspension and for providing false information to police, setting off a search that would uncover far more serious contraband.
What the Search Turned Up
Officers searching the vehicle found a loaded 9mm pistol with an extended magazine near the center console, the station's report states. Alongside the weapon, they discovered three grams of fentanyl, four oxycodone pills and a digital scale — items suggesting the drugs were more than personal use.
The firearm alone was enough to trigger federal charges given Gilliam's record. He has four prior felony firearm convictions and is federally prohibited from possessing a gun, a status that turned a routine traffic stop into a case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Sentencing and What Comes Next
A United States District Judge sentenced Gilliam to 84 months' imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. A U.S. Department of Justice release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina similarly confirms Gilliam was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for the firearm offense.
Because Gilliam was convicted in federal court, there is no possibility of parole shortening his time behind bars — a distinction unique to the federal system, where sentences are served in full aside from limited good-time credit. The case underscores how a single traffic stop, built on an officer's recognition of a driver with a history of gun crimes, escalated into a lengthy federal prison term.
