A Chattanooga man, Christian J. Williams, 22, is headed to federal prison for more than six years after being caught with a machinegun and fentanyl pills.
Williams was sentenced to 75 months in prison by the Honorable Charles E. Atchley, Jr., United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Following his incarceration, Williams will be on supervised release for three years.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Williams agreed to plead guilty to one count of possession a machinegun in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. § 922(o) and one count of possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C).
According to filed court documents, in December 2021, Chattanooga Police Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a stolen vehicle. The vehicle fled and ultimately crashed. Williams exited the passenger-side door and fled on foot. Officers gave chase, caught Williams, and found him in possession of fentanyl pills and a Glock, Model 27, .40 caliber pistol with an installed machinegun conversion device, colloquially known as a ‘switch.’
The ‘switch’ enabled the pistol to fire ‘fully automatic,’ that is, fire multiple rounds by a single pull of the trigger. Possession of a ‘switch’ is illegal under Federal law, as the National Firearms Act classifies the ‘switch’ itself as a machine gun.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement. The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the ATF Chattanooga Field Office, the ATF Firearms Technology Branch, and the Chattanooga Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Kevin T. Brown represented the United States. 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.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III said, ‘The sentencing of Christian J. Williams serves as a reminder that our office is committed to holding accountable those who traffic in machineguns and deadly narcotics.’
Williams’ case is a stark reminder of the dangers of gun violence and the importance of community-based initiatives to reduce crime and keep our neighborhoods safe.
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Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Weapons|Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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