Nathan Donald Pelham, Insider #269

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Sentence

Defendant received credit for time served; Special Assessment $10; Restitution $500.

Criminal History

Pelham has a fairly extensive criminal history

  • In 2001, he was charged with theft. He was sentenced to 12 months’ probation, 60 hours of community service, and a $600 fine.
  • In 2002, he was again charged with theft. He was sentenced to 30 days’ incarceration.
  • In 2003, he was charged with evading arrest and using false identification. He was sentenced to 30 days’ incarceration.
  • In 2003, he was again charged with evading arrest, burglary, theft of property between $20,000 and $100,000, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and possession of a controlled substance. He was initially sentenced to probation, but after another violation the next year, his probation was revoked, and he was sentenced to two years’ incarceration.
  • In 2004, he was charged with evading arrest, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and driving with an invalid license. He was sentenced to two years’ incarceration.
  • In 2004, he was charged with assault and unauthorized use of a vehicle. He was sentenced to one year of incarceration.
  • In 2011, he was charged with driving with an invalid license. He was sentenced to 120 days of incarceration.
  • In 2012, he was charged with driving with an invalid license. He was sentenced to 12 months’ probation.
  • In 2018, he was charged with bail jumping and failure to appear. He was sentenced to 12 months’ probation.
  • Finally, in 2023, he was charged with possession of a firearm as a felon after his shootout with police
    On April 11, 2023, a warrant was issued for Pelham’s arrest. The next day, an FBI agent called Pelham, instructing him to self-surrender the following Monday. Pelham initially agreed, but on April 12, he called his father, threatening to kill himself. Police arrived at Pelham’s home. One of Pelham’s children was there but managed to get out of the house and to the police. Pelham, apparently drunk, shot several rounds, some towards the police, though fortunately, no one was injured.
    According to subsequent police reports, Pelham called his wife, told her goodbye, and said that he planned to make the police shoot him. Pelham paced outside, holding a gun and yelling at police. He eventually went back inside and fired the gun several times. For their own safety, police left the property that night, and let Pelham sleep off his drinking.
    For another day and half there was a delicate negotiation between the police and Pelham, helpfully mediated by Pelham’s defense lawyer. Pelham repeatedly promised to turn himself in but failed to do so, only finally self-surrendering at a local police station on Friday, April 14. Pelham was charged with federal felon-in-possession gun offenses, and state offenses for aggravated assault against a public servant

Documentation