NOLA Drug Kingpin Gross Williams Gets 23 Years

NEW ORLEANS, LA – A New Orleans couple is facing the consequences for a brazen drug operation that flooded the streets with heroin and cocaine. GROSS WILLIAMS, age 49, and his wife, KATHLEEN WILLIAMS, age 47, received their sentences today, the result of a dogged investigation by federal authorities. The pair’s scheme, masked by a seemingly legitimate business, has finally unraveled.

GROSS WILLIAMS pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute a kilogram or more of heroin and five kilograms or more of cocaine, alongside the charge of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt handed down a 276-month imprisonment sentence for the drug conspiracy, and an additional 120 months for the firearms violation. These sentences will run concurrently, meaning Williams faces a staggering 23 years behind bars. He was also slapped with a $20,000 fine and will be subject to ten years of supervised release after completing his sentence.

The operation wasn’t a small-time hustle. According to court documents, GROSS WILLIAMS ran a used car business in Arabi – a calculated front to launder the immense profits from his narcotics dealings. Law enforcement’s raid on the WILLIAMS’ residence uncovered a shocking $425,000 in cash and a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol hidden in their bedroom. The haul didn’t stop there; another $240,000 was discovered stashed in a safe deposit box opened by KATHLEEN WILLIAMS. Investigators meticulously traced hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash deposits into the used car business’s accounts, despite minimal legitimate sales.

While GROSS WILLIAMS handled the drugs and cash, KATHLEEN WILLIAMS played a crucial role in covering up the evidence. She pled guilty to obstruction of justice, admitting to destroying her husband’s cell phone – the “dope phone” – the very day he was arrested. This act, intended to bury incriminating communications, ultimately proved futile. She received four years of probation, with the first nine months to be served under house arrest.

“This case demonstrates the lengths to which drug traffickers will go to profit from the misery of others,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. The successful prosecution was a collaborative effort, involving the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, the New Orleans Police Department, and Louisiana Probation and Parole. Assistant United States Attorneys David Haller and Hayden Brockett spearheaded the prosecution, building a case that stood up in court.

The WILLIAMS’ operation is now shut down, but the fight against drug trafficking in New Orleans continues. This sentencing sends a clear message: those who choose to poison our communities and profit from illegal activity will face the full force of the law. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this and other federal cases as they unfold.