Source: United States Attorneys General
Headline: Bradenton Man Sentenced To Fifteen Years For Firearm And Drug Trafficking Related Offenses
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Travis Marcel Hickman (32, Bradenton) to 15 years and 1 day in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He pleaded guilty on June 13, 2017.
According to court documents, on November 17, 2017, deputies from the Manatee County Sherriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop on Hickman’s car. He fled, leading the deputies on a chase that resulted in him colliding with another vehicle in a residential neighborhood. Hickman emerged from his car with a backpack containing various narcotics, including morphine and crack cocaine. Law enforcement officers recovered a loaded .40 caliber pistol from his disabled vehicle, and a subsequent search of Hickman’s motel room revealed a loaded 9mm pistol, ammunition, and various narcotics, including opioids, cocaine, and crack cocaine. At the time, Hickman was a convicted felon and therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In October 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to develop districtwide crime reduction strategies, incorporating the lessons learned since the program’s inception in 2001. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.