Shreveport felon pleads guilty to possession of a firearm, methamphetamine distribution

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Shreveport man previously convicted of a felony pleaded guilty Tuesday to possessing methamphetamine and a pistol in his car.

William Charles Riggs, 44, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby to one count of felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to the guilty plea, Louisiana State Police attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Riggs’ vehicle on April 28, 2017 in Bossier Parish. The trooper observed the car straddling the center line, and when the traffic stop was initiated, the car sped off at a high rate of speed. The car eventually crashed, and Riggs escaped on foot. He was later apprehended. Troopers searched the vehicle and found 27.21 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded model 22; .40 caliber Glock pistol.

Riggs faces five to 40 years in prison for the drug count and not less than five years in prison for the firearms count. He also faces five years of supervised release and a $5 million fine. The court set a sentencing date of June 14, 2018.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

The ATF, DEA, Louisiana State Police and Bossier City Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford is prosecuting the case.