HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Embattled Huntington City Councilman Pete Gillespie tendered his resignation from the council in a two-sentence letter received by the city clerk Tuesday.

Gillespie, in the letter, expressed “deep regret” at resigning.

“I have greatly enjoyed my time serving the citizens of Huntington but feel it is in the best interest of those citizens that I step down at this time,” the letter states.

In exchange for his resignation, and dropping an appeal of a conviction on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, Gillespie will be placed on “lockdown” home confinement for six months, Cabell County Prosecutor Corky Hammers said.

The former first-term District 2 councilman was serving a curfew home confinement sentence — which allowed him to leave his home for work, City Council meetings and other functions — when he was arrested in late September on charges that he violated the terms of that arrangement.

Home confinement officers found four firearms, which he was prohibited from owning, in Gillespie’s home during a visit. They also found the councilman was in the process of purchasing three more firearms, and had 922 rounds of ammunition in his house. Gillespie had a prior violation when he tested positive for marijuana in August…