DETROIT — Deandre Martece Williams was today handed a 327-month prison sentence for his part in a series of armed robberies, non-fatal shootings, and rapes that terrorized the city last year. United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced the sentence, which includes charges of felon in possession of a firearm and kidnapping.
United States District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith called Williams’s actions ‘nightmarish’ during sentencing, noting his ‘utter disregard for human dignity.’ The judge emphasized that the defendant targeted not just individuals but also their sense of security within their own neighborhoods.
In March 2023, Williams committed eight separate incidents over a three-month span, victimizing fifteen people. Four were seriously injured, and three were raped at gunpoint in what has been described as a spree of violence that left the community on edge. Gorgon was accompanied by ATF Special Agent in Charge James Deir, DPD Chief Todd Bettison, and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy during the announcement.
The investigation, led by DPD and bolstered by the ATF and NIBIN, revealed a pattern of targeting sex workers and their clients. Evidence from multiple crime scenes helped identify Williams as the perpetrator. The ATF executed a federal search warrant on October 20, 2023, at Williams’s residence, where they arrested him and recovered the firearm used in the robberies.
Williams’s modus operandi involved selecting victims in parked cars, approaching them on foot, and robbing them at gunpoint. He also shot at several victims as they attempted to flee, resulting in injuries from gunfire. In one particularly heinous act, Williams raped two of his victims during the robberies.
The investigation further uncovered a link between Williams and a 2012 unsolved case of Criminal Sexual Conduct, leading to additional charges. The ATF and DPD’s dedication has been hailed as instrumental in making Detroit safer, with Gorgon emphasizing that ‘removing violent thugs from the community’ is their priority.
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Key Facts
- State: Michigan
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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