El Dorado Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison for Machinegun Possession

EL DORADO - An El Dorado man was sentenced on October 28, 2026, to 41 months in prison on one count of possession of a machinegun. The Honorable Judge John Thomas Shepherd presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in El Dorado.

According to court documents, officers with the El Dorado Police Department were seeking the arrest of Kelvin Markei Gilmore, Jr., age 21, on an active felony warrant. On November 30, 2024, officers with the El Dorado Police Department observed Gilmore operating a vehicle with expired tags. Officers searched the vehicle and located a Glock 9mm equipped with a "switch" and high-capacity magazine. A subsequent examination of the firearm by the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that as a result of the "switch," the firearm functioned as a machinegun.

United States Attorney Kevin R. Holmes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. The El Dorado Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigations investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Trent Daniels prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

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