‘Major’ Bradenton narcotics dealer who had a hefty stash gets 15-year term

A Bradenton man who authorities called a “major narcotics dealer” at the time of his 2016 arrest was sentenced to 15 years and one day in prison in U.S. District Court in Tampa, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced Thursday.

According to court documents, Travis Marcel Hickman, 32, was arrested Nov. 17, 2016, after he led Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies on a chase. He failed to obey a traffic stop and kept driving, eventually crashing into another car in a residential neighborhood and fleeing on foot with a backpack, prosecutors said.

Deputies later caught him in possession of a loaded .40-caliber pistol and various prescription drugs, including Xanax, morphine and oxycodone.

After his arrest, a search of his motel room was conducted, and detectives discovered a loaded 9 mm pistol and a large enough stash of drugs to classify as trafficking.

The sheriff’s office’s Special Investigation Division previously had been investigating Hickman, who was suspected of dealing drugs.

At the time of his arrest, Hickman was a convicted felon. He faced a slew of charges, including obstruction, reckless driving and armed trafficking.

Hickman was sentenced to 15 years and one day in prison for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On June 13, he pleaded guilty to those charges.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted the sheriff’s office in the investigation.

This story was originally published February 8, 2018 at 8:47 PM with the headline "‘Major’ Bradenton narcotics dealer who had a hefty stash gets 15-year term."