Randy Lew Williams, Firearms Smuggling, Oklahoma 2020

Grimy Times Investigates: Smuggling Ring Exposed

A federal judge has handed down a harsh sentence to Randy Lew Williams, a 58-year-old Edmond resident, for his role in a firearms smuggling operation. Williams was sentenced to serve 40 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for violating the Arms Export Control Act, making a false statement to a firearms dealer, and possession of an unregistered firearm.

On June 1, 2020, Williams was charged with three counts related to the illegal shipment of firearms to the Middle East. According to court records, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Legal Attaché in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) notified the FBI Oklahoma City Field Division that a FedEx shipment had been seized by UAE authorities in Dubai, UAE, on December 19, 2018. The shipment contained multiple Glock pistols and firearms parts.

Williams did not have a Federal Firearms License from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, or authority from the Department of Defense to export defense articles outside the United States. Despite this, he continued to send firearms to Iraq, further exacerbating the situation.

Williams pleaded guilty to all three counts on June 26, 2020. He has been in custody since his arrest on March 2, 2020.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Dillon and Mark Stoneman prosecuted the case, which was a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Oklahoma City Field Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Dallas Field Division, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Oklahoma City Police Department, and the Edmond Police Department.

The case serves as a reminder of the severity of firearms smuggling and the importance of adhering to federal laws and regulations. Williams’ sentence is a testament to the efforts of law enforcement agencies in preventing the proliferation of illicit firearms.

The case is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Oklahoma City Field Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Dallas Field Division, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Oklahoma City Police Department, and the Edmond Police Department.

Reference is made to court filings for further information.

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