Jemarcus Maquel Williams, Conspiracy to Violate Federal Firearms Offenses, Oklahoma 2024

MUSKOGEE, OK – Two men from Memphis, Tennessee, are headed to federal prison after admitting to a cross-state gun-running operation. Jemarcus Maquel Williams, 32, and Anfernee Deshon Sherrod, 30, each received 60 months behind bars after pleading guilty to conspiracy to violate federal firearms offenses.

The case unfolded after a routine traffic stop on I-40 in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, on December 29, 2021. Sequoyah County Sheriff’s deputies pulled over the vehicle occupied by Williams and Sherrod, discovering a cache of weapons: six firearms equipped with large capacity magazines and, crucially, an unserialized silencer. The discovery triggered a joint investigation with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The investigation revealed the pair wasn’t just transporting firearms, they were actively conspiring to obtain them in Oklahoma. The specific purpose behind the operation remains unclear, but the presence of a silencer – a highly regulated device – immediately raised the stakes. Adding to the severity, Sherrod was already a convicted felon, prohibited from possessing any firearms at all.

Federal prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edith Singer, successfully argued for the maximum sentence allowed under the law. U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett, presiding over the hearing, ordered both Williams and Sherrod immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal to begin serving their non-parolable sentences. That means no early release.

A third co-conspirator, Andria Victoria Dowdy, also pleaded guilty to the same charge last June and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 12th. Authorities haven’t released details of Dowdy’s role in the conspiracy, but her involvement clearly cemented the trio’s intent to violate federal gun laws.

The ATF and Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office have not released further details about the source of the firearms or the intended destination. The case serves as a stark reminder that illegal gun trafficking doesn’t respect state lines and that federal agencies are actively working to disrupt these dangerous operations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma continues to pursue cases that threaten public safety.

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