Ezekiel Josiah King, Unlawful User of Controlled Substance in Possession of Firearms, Missouri 2022

SPRINGFIELD, MO – A local rapper is facing federal prison time after admitting to illegally possessing a cache of firearms while allegedly using drugs. Ezekiel Josiah King, 20, of Springfield, pleaded guilty today to one count of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of firearms. The bust unfolded February 15, 2022, when Springfield police detectives pulled over a gold Nissan Altima King was driving.

Inside the vehicle, detectives discovered a loaded Glock .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol equipped with an extended 29-round magazine. They also found an Anderson AM-15 multi-caliber rifle, crammed with 31 rounds of .223-caliber ammunition. Under the driver’s seat, police found yet another extended magazine and two standard Glock magazines. King wasn’t alone; Jardell Carlin Williams, 20, was riding shotgun.

Williams, who previously pleaded guilty on May 16, 2023, to two counts of the same charge, admitted to possessing a Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol. Detectives also located two boxes of ammunition on the floorboard. But Williams’s troubles didn’t end there. On October 22, 2022, during another traffic stop, he was found with a C3 Defense 5.56-caliber semi-automatic pistol. Investigators believe that weapon was used in three separate shooting incidents across Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas.

Both King and Williams readily admitted to regularly smoking marijuana, a fact that triggered the federal firearms violations. Federal law prohibits individuals who regularly use controlled substances from possessing firearms. King now faces up to 10 years in federal prison without the possibility of parole. Williams is looking at a potentially harsher sentence of up to 25 years behind bars, also without parole.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan is prosecuting the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Greene County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Department, and the Springfield, Missouri, Police Department. The case is part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” initiative, a nationwide effort to combat violent crime and gun violence.

Williams’s sentencing is scheduled for February 5, 2024. A date for King’s sentencing will be set after the U.S. Probation Office completes a pre-sentence investigation. While the maximum sentences are set by Congress, the actual punishment will be determined by the court, considering sentencing guidelines and other factors. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case.

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