Hasan Williams, Gun and Assault, Vermont 2024

A Burlington, Vermont man has been sentenced to 60 months in prison for possessing a loaded handgun after having been convicted of a felony, specifically assault and robbery in 2016.

Hasan Williams, 27, was sentenced on September 30, 2024, by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of 60 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release.

The charges against Williams stem from an incident that occurred on August 27-28, 2023, in downtown Burlington. The Burlington Police Department responded to a call regarding a possible assault and possession of a firearm. When police arrived, they located Williams walking away from the call location and on the grounds of the Chittenden County Superior Court.

Police approached Williams, who denied being involved in the alleged assault. However, when asked if he had a gun on him, Williams replied that he did not. The police then asked to remove his shoulder bag without looking inside, knowing that another recent call involved someone with a similar shoulder bag containing a gun. Williams refused to comply, turned his back on the officer, and began reaching for the shoulder bag, instigating an altercation with the officer.

After the altercation, the zipper on Williams’s shoulder bag had opened, making plainly visible a handgun inside. Police obtained a search warrant for the shoulder bag, which contained a loaded handgun.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest thanked the officers and agents of the Burlington Police Department and the ATF for their vigilance and care in investigating and apprehending Williams. The ATF’s Special Agent in Charge, James M. Ferguson, stated that firearms in the hands of violent felons are a major driver of additional violent crime in communities and that the sentence handed down delivers a clear message: violent offenders will be held accountable.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Owyang. Williams was represented by Timothy B. Fair, Esq. and Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven L. Barth. The 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.

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