Valdez Williams, Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon, Florida 2020

A federal jury has found Valdez Williams, a 61-year-old man from Altamonte Springs, Florida, guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. According to evidence presented at trial, law enforcement officers recovered a .380 caliber firearm and ammunition from a safe in Williams’s bedroom during the execution of a search warrant at his apartment.

Williams was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law both because he had prior felony convictions and because he was still on federal supervised release. He admitted to selling cocaine base and purchasing stolen property, stating that he had obtained the firearm for protection after his apartment was burglarized about a month earlier.

This case was investigated by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel P. Jancha and Karen L. Gable as part of the “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), a nationwide crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities.

The PSN program involves a comprehensive approach to public safety, including investigating and prosecuting crimes, as well as prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Williams faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 28, 2020.

This conviction is another example of the federal government’s commitment to reducing violent crime in communities by holding those who break the law accountable for their actions.

Related Federal Cases