KC Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Illegal Firearm After Firing Shots Toward I-70

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm after firing a stolen pistol into the air toward traffic on Interstate 70 near the sports complex.

Adrian Milligan, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 17 years in federal prison without parole.

On Sept. 18, 2019, Milligan pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that he was in possession of a Kahr 9mm semi-automatic pistol on April 13, 2018.

Kansas City police officers were dispatched to Arrowhead Inn, 6006 E. 31st Street, at 3:18 a.m. on April 13, 2018. A 911 call reported two men and a woman shooting a pistol in the air in the parking lot. Milligan was shooting in the direction of the nearby Interstate 70, which placed motorists in danger as well as motel guests, employees, and other individuals in the area. When officers arrived, they contacted three individuals, including Milligan. Milligan had the pistol, which had been reported stolen, in his left pant pocket. He also had three 9mm rounds of ammunition in his pocket.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Milligan has prior felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm, assault on a law enforcement officer, possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute, unlawful use of a weapon, distributing a controlled substance near a school, and two prior felony convictions for trafficking.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mathew Moeder. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.