Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Keenan Gibson, 41, of Wilmington, was sentenced last week to more than 9 years in prison after a jury convicted Gibson of gun and drug charges in June 2019.

According to court documents, Gibson was charged with possession of heroin with the intent to distribute, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Gibson’s charges arose from a search of a Wilmington apartment during which officers discovered more than 1,100 bags of heroin, along with marijuana and methamphetamine. Gibson was found hiding in the bathroom, with his phone in the bathtub and a gun under the sink. Evidence at trial included multiple text messages on Gibson’s phone that referenced selling heroin and other drugs. The jury convicted Gibson in under three hours.

U.S. Attorney Weiss, stated, “This defendant decided to sell heroin in the middle of an opioid crisis and to use a firearm  in furtherance of his drug-trafficking activity  in a community plagued by gun violence.  Like others who engage in such conduct, he got caught and now will spend nearly a decade behind bars.”

“Any instance of criminals trafficking drugs creates opportunities for violence and puts communities at risk. This defendant increased that likelihood of violence by using a firearm to further his criminal activities,” said ATF Baltimore Field Division Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones. “ATF and our law enforcement partners in the Wilmington Police Department, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office, are focused on getting anyone who uses guns to commit crime off the street so Delaware neighborhoods can thrive.”

"This sentencing marks the culmination of an investigation into drug and weapon offenses - crimes that plague communities across the country and disturb the quality of life of our residents," said Wilmington Police Chief Robert J. Tracy. "The outcome also accentuates the strong partnership our agency has with our colleagues in the U.S. Attorney's Office and the ATF, and the shared commitment we have to making our community safer."

The case was investigated by the Wilmington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe and Christopher Howland prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 16-CR-46.

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