New York Man Found Guilty Of Federal Firearms Charge

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Following a trial in the United States District Court in Greeneville, Jatally Williams, 33, of Utica, New York, was found guilty of possessing a firearm while being a prohibited person, specifically a person having been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison.

Sentencing is set for May 16, 2024, before the Honorable Clifton Corker, in United States District Court in Greeneville, Tennessee.  Williams faces a potential fifteen-year minimum mandatory and a maximum life sentence in prison pursuant to the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA).

Evidence at trial showed that on February 4, 2022, Williams was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by law enforcement officers on Roan Street in Johnson City.  During the traffic stop, Williams admitted that he possessed a gun and officers located a 9mm pistol in Williams’ waistband.  Williams’ criminal record includes prior felony convictions for robbery, burglary, and a felony drug offense.

U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III of the Eastern District of Tennessee, made the announcement.

The Johnson City Police Department led the investigation that resulted in the indictment and subsequent conviction of Williams.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom McCauley and Ryan Blackwell represented the United States at trial.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive national strategy that creates local partnerships with law enforcement agencies to effectively enforce existing gun laws.  It provides more options to prosecutors, allowing them to utilize local, state, and federal laws to ensure that criminals who commit gun crime face tough sentences.  PSN gives each federal district the flexibility it needs to focus on individual challenges that a specific community face.

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