Area Man Sentenced For Drug And Gun Offenses

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Anthony Douglas Williams, 28, of Greeneville, Tenn., was sentenced on Feb.10, 2015, by the Honorable R. Leon Jordan, U.S. District Court Judge, to serve 286 months in federal prison for his conviction on charges of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, and knowingly using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. There is no parole in the federal system.

In February 2014, members of the Johnson City Police Department came upon Williams after he had been involved in a traffic accident on Interstate 26. Upon questioning, and after attempts by Williams to provide false identifying information, officers confirmed Williams’s identity and the existence of several outstanding warrants for his arrest. When law enforcement then proceeded to take Williams into custody, a struggle ensued in which Williams tried to gain control of one of the officer’s guns. Williams was eventually subdued and placed under arrest.

Thereafter, a search of Williams uncovered two firearms, accompanying ammunition, approximately 16.32 grams of crack cocaine, approximately 8.90 grams of powder cocaine, 92 dihydrocodeinone pills, and several hundred dollars. A subsequent search of Williams’s vehicle unrevealed a third firearm, approximately 14.175 grams of marijuana, and four digital scales.

This case was the product of cooperation between the Johnson City Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Regalia represented the United States.

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 faces.