A 21-year-old Columbia man has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for robbing a federal confidential informant at gunpoint during a firearms and narcotics investigation.
According to evidence presented in court, Tah’Kel Ar’Key Wilson committed the robbery on Aug. 9, 2024, after federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) used a confidential informant to arrange the purchase of a firearm and cocaine from an identified target.
When the informant arrived at the agreed-upon meeting location, Wilson approached the vehicle, introduced himself, and instructed the informant to drive to a more secluded area to retrieve additional items.
Once there, Wilson pulled a handgun equipped with a Glock switch from his waistband, pointed it at the informant, and threatened to “switch” the victim if he or she did not comply. He then stole approximately $3,400 in documented funds and two cell phones before fleeing on foot.
ATF agents conducting surveillance approximately 50 yards away immediately responded. Wilson fled toward a wooded area but was apprehended a short time later after agents found him hiding inside a backyard shed. Investigators recovered the loaded firearm equipped with the machine-gun conversion device, the stolen funds, and both cell phones. The robbery was also captured on audio and video recordings.
At the time of the offense, Wilson was out on state bond for a murder charge and was wearing 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 the federal prison