Armed felon sentenced to maximum prison term for illegally carrying a firearm

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Chatham County man with a hefty criminal record has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegally carrying a gun.

Thomas Kevin Robinson, 52, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Lisa Godbey Wood, who levied the statutory maximum penalty against Robinson, also ordered him to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Thomas Kevin Robinson is a textbook example of a recidivist felon whose selfish actions fuel violent crime in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our neighborhoods are safer with Robinson and criminals like him disarmed and behind bars.”

Savannah Police arrested Robinson in April 2021 following a report of a shoplifting at the Family Dollar Store on Wheaton Street. An employee who confronted Robinson said Robinson pointed a pistol at him and drove away. When police later located and tried to stop his vehicle, Robinson led them on a chase that ended when drove at high speed through a construction zone and crashed into another vehicle. Robinson then ran away and later was found in the backyard of a residence with a pistol on the ground nearby.

Robinson has multiple prior arrests and more than 20 criminal convictions, primarily for drug and shoplifting offenses.

“Robinson, with a lengthy criminal history, once again put innocent civilians at risk during the commission of this robbery. He has repeatedly proven that he has no regard for the law,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is proud to work with our local law enforcement partners in helping to convict these repeat offenders at the federal level, where they face stiffer penalties and no opportunity for parole.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.