LITTLE ROCK, AR – Robert Wilburn, 32, of Inverness, Mississippi, has been sentenced to 100 months in federal prison following his conviction on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky.
Wilburn’s legal troubles began on March 15, 2022, when deputies from the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office found him asleep in a stationary vehicle on the side of the road. Upon waking him, officers noticed a strong smell of intoxicants and marijuana in the vehicle. After struggling to rouse Wilburn, deputies escorted him to a responder vehicle, observing his incoherent speech during the encounter.
A search of the vehicle revealed a Glock 43 9mm firearm with a loaded magazine and one round in the chamber in the center console. Additionally, a box of matching ammunition and a second magazine were found, along with an open beer can and a small amount of marijuana.
Wilburn, a multi-convicted felon, was indicted on February 9, 2023, and stood trial in August 2024. A jury found him guilty after a two-day trial held at the Jonesboro federal courthouse.
In addition to his prison sentence, Wilburn was ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his incarceration. Under federal law, parole is not available for his sentence.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office. Prosecutors Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin O’Leary and Katie Hinojosa represented the government in the case.
