Columbia man convicted of illegal firearm possession after police chase
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Columbia man was convicted by a federal jury of illegally possessing the stolen firearm that he threw out of his car during a police chase.
Cecil Jason Robinson, 42, was found guilty on Thursday of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Law enforcement attempted to stop Robinson, who was driving a truck with a defective brake light on I-70 west between the St. Charles Road exit and the Highway 63 connector on Jan. 26, 2021. When the officers activated their emergency lights, Robinson’s vehicle exited I-70 onto the Highway 63 connector, where it immediately conducted an illegal U-turn, forcing oncoming traffic to stop. The vehicle entered the I-70 west entrance ramp, accelerating its speed, and a vehicle pursuit ensued.
Officers saw Robinson open the driver’s side door slightly and throw out a handgun into the rocky area between the entrance ramp and I-70. Officers recovered the firearm, which had been reported stolen out of Kansas.
Under federal statutes, Robinson is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole.
The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
