A 21-year-old Columbia man was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison after robbing a federal confidential informant at gunpoint during a guns and narcotics investigation.
According to court testimony, Tah’Kel Ar’Key Wilson perpetrated the heist on August 9, 2024, after federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) utilized a confidential informant to arrange the purchase of a pistol and cocaine from an identified target.
When the informant arrived at the agreed-upon meeting spot, Wilson approached the vehicle, identified himself, and told him to drive to a more remote region to acquire further goods.
When Wilson arrived, he took a handgun with a Glock switch from his waistband, aimed it at the informant, and threatened to “switch” the victim if he or she refused to comply. He then stole around $3,400 in verified funds and two cell phones before leaving on foot.
ATF agents conducting surveillance about 50 yards distant responded instantly. Wilson ran into the woods, but was captured a short time later when investigators discovered him hiding under a backyard shed. Investigators found the loaded handgun with the machine-gun conversion mechanism, the stolen money, and both cell phones. The robbery was also documented on audio and video records.
Wilson was on state bond for murder at the time of the incident and was carrying a GPS monitoring device.
U.S. District Judge Sherri Lydon sentenced Wilson to 192 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in federal prisons.
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