Williesia Laquanda Williams, Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted Felon, Mississippi 2021

A Natchez woman has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon in federal court, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca of the Southern District of Mississippi, and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Williesia Laquanda Williams, 29, made a live social media video of herself driving and displaying a firearm on December 13, 2019. At that time, Williams was on parole and her parole officer saw the video. That evening, Williams was stopped by a Natchez police officer for a traffic violation and arrested for possessing the firearm as a convicted felon.

Williams had been previously convicted of assaulting a correctional officer and possessing cocaine. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2021, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bert Carraway is prosecuting the case. This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the violent crime reduction efforts.

PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Defendant/Respondent Name: Williesia Laquanda Williams

Criminal Charges: Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon

City and State: Jackson, Miss.

Exact Date: December 13, 2019 (crime date), November 16, 2021 (sentencing)

Sentence or Outcome: 10 years in prison (maximum penalty)

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