Conway Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm in Road Rage Incident

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Conway, Missouri, man who threatened another driver in a road rage incident pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm.

William J.W. Duval, 29, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Duval remains in federal custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

By pleading guilty today, Duval admitted he was in possession of a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol on June 19, 2019. Duval was involved in a disturbance with another driver on that date in the area of Glenstone Avenue and Kearney Street. The other driver told police officers that a white Cadillac driven by Duval had drifted into his lane of traffic and that he honked at the vehicle. Duval then flipped him off and showed him a firearm, at which time the other driver called 911.

Officers stopped Duval and searched his vehicle. They found the loaded pistol between the driver’s seat and center console and arrested Duval.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Duval has prior felony convictions for stealing a motor vehicle, theft, burglary, forgery, possession of a controlled substance, and stealing.

Under federal statutes, Duval is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony M. Brown, who is a cross-designated prosecutor from the Missouri Attorney General’s office as part of the Safer Streets Initiative to combat violent crime. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.