TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody has sentenced Johnathan Anton Williams, 39, of Ruskin to eight years and eight months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine, carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The court also ordered Williams to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offense. Williams was convicted following a bench trial on April 20, 2023.
According to court documents, law enforcement observed Williams at a Tampa gas station engaged in a possible drug transaction from his vehicle. When deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s approached and observed drug paraphernalia in Williams’s vehicle, he unsuccessfully tried to flee. The deputies then searched the vehicle and recovered a Taurus 9mm pistol and various ammunition, methamphetamine and two digital scales. Williams had previously been convicted of felonies, including robbery, possession of cocaine and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Williams illegally possessed the firearm to protect his drug trafficking activities. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Kenneth.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
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