Federal Judge Imposes Harsh Sentence on Erik Willis
Erik Willis, a 31-year-old man from Purdon, Texas, was sentenced to serve a total of 258 months in federal prison for firearms offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
Willis, who represented himself at trial, was convicted on two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing an unregistered firearm. U.S. District Judge Jorge A. Solis sentenced him to 120 months on each count of conviction, for a total of 360 months, but two of the three sentences will run concurrently.
In addition to the 360 months, Willis received an additional 18-month sentence for violating his federal supervised release. This brings the total sentence to 258 months, which is a harsher punishment than initially expected.
The case against Willis began in April 2011, when he fled after choking a Garrett Police officer during a traffic stop. A subsequent search of his truck yielded two guns and marijuana. Further investigation led authorities to search his property in Purdon, where they found three and a half pounds of marijuana, $150,000 in cash, and 13 firearms, including a ‘street sweeper’ destructive device.
The search also revealed that Willis’s house was heavily fortified, containing a hidden room, steel curtains, money counters, industrial door locks, and surveillance equipment. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Texas Rangers, the Navarro County Sheriff’s Office, and the Garrett Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cara Foos Pierce and Taly Haffar prosecuted the case, which has led to a severe punishment for Willis. This serves as a warning to those who engage in similar activities, and highlights the determination of law enforcement agencies to combat firearms offenses and related crimes.
Related Federal Cases
- Oklahoma Pipeline Fined $3.3M for Massive Jet Fuel Spill in Texas! · Alabama
- Border Blitz: 251 New Immigration Cases Flood Texas Courts · Alabama
- 250 New Immigrant Cases Hit Texas U.S. Attys’ Office · Texas
- Terror Cartel Leader Busted in Texas: Tren de Aragua’s Fall · New Mexico
- Bondi Battles Money Movers in Texas Court · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News