Jury Finds Washington, D.C. Man Guilty of Federal Firearms Charge

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Defendant was Convicted of Illegal Possession of a Loaded Semi-Automatic Pistol By a Felon

            WASHINGTON – Ronnard Williams, 30, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury on a federal firearms charge, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Williams was found guilty by a jury yesterday of illegal possession of a weapon by a felon following a four-day trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Jia M. Cobb scheduled sentencing for March 10, 2023.

            On May 10, 2020, at approximately 11:05 p.m., officers of the Metropolitan Police Department patrolled the 2600 block of Birney Place in Southeast, Washington, D.C. Officers initiated a traffic stop of Williams’ vehicle. While conducting the stop, an officer observed a firearm in the rear passenger side of the vehicle, which was recovered and determined to be a Glock, Model 22, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with one round in the chamber and 12 rounds in the magazine. Williams had prior convictions, including for armed robbery. 

            Following his arrest in this case, Williams was placed on pre-trial release subject to various conditions. After a tamper alert on his monitoring device in November 2020, he did not return to Court until he was re-arrested in October 2021. He has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the valuable assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Marshals Service in the course of the investigation.  They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who prosecuted the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Hart and Kimberly Paschall and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian W. Lynch, as well as Paralegal Specialist Peter Gaboton.