Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Charleston Man Sentenced on Federal Gun Charge and Violating Terms of Supervised Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced on federal firearms charge, said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Michael D. Williams, 50, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and violating the terms of his supervised release. The investigation was conducted by the Charleston Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Williams previously pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. On October 13, 2018, Williams got in an altercation at the Transit Mall in downtown Charleston and pulled a firearm on an individual. An officer from the Charleston Police Department witnessed the altercation and arrested Williams. Williams was on supervised release for a prior federal conviction for conspiracy to commit arson.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Steve Loew handled the prosecution.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s 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.