John Kaleb Gillespie
John Kaleb Gillespie, 34, of Decatur, was sentenced Tuesday to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole following his conviction for drug trafficking.
Judge Stephen F. Brown imposed the sentence. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Stacy Adams.
According to the Morgan County District Attorney’s Office, Gillespie was convicted of trafficking in cannabis in May. This was the result of a joint operation of the Decatur Police Department, United States Marshall Service, Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, and the Moulton Police Department in the fall of 2018.
Gillespie was known to drive a black Camaro between Atlanta and Decatur to purchase large quantities of narcotics. Multiple attempts were made to locate and arrest Gillespie on outstanding warrants in both Decatur and Moulton.
When he was found in Decatur, Gillespie was found with about 40 grams of marijuana and more than $25,000. Ten pounds of marijuana was found inside the Camaro, according to the DA’s office.
The office said Gillespie is a convicted sex offender with multiple prior felony convictions. He has a lengthy criminal history that spans multiple states including Alabama, Florida, and Oklahoma.
He was on probation for rape and possession of marijuana when he was arrested in Decatur.
Gillespie has additional charges pending in multiple jurisdictions. In Morgan County, he is charged with violations of the Alabama Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and escape. He’s accused of escaping from the Morgan County Jail in October 2019.
Gillespie also faces attempted murder, criminal mischief and attempting to elude law enforcement charges in Lawrence County.
At sentencing Tuesday, Adams pointed out that Gillespie had disciplinary infractions while serving his sentence at the Department of Corrections, that he has a consistent pattern of running from the police and trying to escape when he is in trouble, and that his behavior has escalated such that he is a danger to the public. Adams stated that “Gillespie lives his life like he thinks he’s in an action movie, and in doing so is endangering the lives of the citizens of Alabama. The sentence today ensures the safety of the public.â€
