New Orleans Man Indicted for Drug and Firearm Offenses
NEW ORLEANS — U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Byron Williams, 39, a resident of New Orleans, was charged Jan. 11 in a three-count indictment stemming from incidents taking place on Nov. 22, 2023. Count 1 charged Williams with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, in violation of Title 21, U.S. Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). Count 2 charged Williams with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 924(c). Count 3 charged Williams with felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
If convicted of Count 1, Williams faces up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release. If convicted of Count 2, Williams faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life imprisonment, to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine and up to five years of supervised release. If convicted of Count 3, Williams faces up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. As to each count, Williams also faces payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
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