Jardell Carlin Williams, Illegal Possession of Firearms, Missouri 2024

SPRINGFIELD, MO – Jardell Carlin Williams, 20, a Springfield man with ties to a local rap group and leadership within the “FTO” gang, received a six-year and six-month federal prison sentence without parole today. The sentence stems from his illegal possession of firearms, several of which investigators have directly linked to shootings across Springfield and the Kansas City area. The case underscores the escalating gun violence plaguing the region and the feds’ relentless pursuit of those fueling it.

The bust began unfolding on February 15, 2022, when Springfield Police detectives pulled over a gold Nissan Altima driven by Ezekiel Josiah King, 20, also of Springfield and a fellow FTO leader and rapper. Inside, King possessed a loaded Glock .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol with a massive 29-round magazine, along with an Anderson AM-15 multi-caliber rifle loaded with 31 rounds of .223-caliber ammunition. Williams, riding shotgun, had a Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol on him. A search revealed two more boxes of ammunition stashed under Williams’ seat and additional magazines under King’s. In total, authorities recovered over 100 rounds of ammunition and three firearms from the vehicle.

The firearms weren’t just for show. Ballistic testing through the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) proved the .40-caliber Glock Williams possessed had been used in a drive-by shooting of a Springfield residence on January 30, 2022. Five people were inside the home when it was riddled with bullets, some penetrating into a bedroom. This wasn’t a one-off incident for Williams. On October 23, 2022, Greene County Sheriff’s deputies stopped a vehicle carrying Williams as a passenger after a concert where King performed. Another search uncovered more firearms and marijuana.

Investigators dug deeper, uncovering yet another incident on October 16, 2021, in Nixa, Missouri. During a traffic stop, officers found a stolen, loaded Highpoint firearm on a juvenile passenger in the same vehicle as Williams. A loaded SCCY pistol was near another passenger, and a stolen Anderson AM-15 rifle was found covered with a blanket on the center console. Marijuana wax and pipes were also seized. Disturbingly, officers noticed 15 to 20 bullet holes in Williams’ vehicle, and he admitted involvement in a previous shooting, refusing to elaborate. He was initially charged in Christian County, Missouri, with possession of a stolen firearm.

Williams ultimately pleaded guilty on May 16, 2023, to two counts of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough handed down the sentence today, sending a clear message that illegally possessing firearms while engaged in gang activity and drug use will not be tolerated in Western Missouri. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri, led by Teresa A. Moore.

Ezekiel Josiah King’s fate remains unclear. While implicated in the initial traffic stop and identified as a leader of the FTO gang, details regarding his charges and potential sentencing haven’t been released. The ATF continues to investigate the FTO gang and their network, promising further crackdowns on gun-related crimes in the Springfield and Kansas City areas. This case serves as a grim reminder of the constant battle against illegal firearms and the violence they bring to our streets.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Weapons

Yamil Mediavilla-Diaz, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Pennsylvania 2016

Feb 23, 2017

Weapons

Jordan Alexander, Illegal Gun Possession, Washington DC, 2024

Apr 8, 2026

Weapons

Kyle Richards, Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted Felon, Wisconsin 2023

Apr 8, 2026

Weapons

Larry Mitchell Hopkins, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, New Mexico 2023

Apr 15, 2020