Greenville, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Antonio Devon Williamson, age 30, of Florence, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Anderson, for a conspiracy to murder a trial witness of the State of South Carolina, in violation of the federal Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering (VCAR) statute, Title 18, United States Code, Section 1959(a)(5). United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain, of Anderson, sentenced Williamson to 60 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that Williamson conspired with fellow members of the Elm Street Piru Bloods gang, in Greenville County, South Carolina, to attempt to murder a witness in an upcoming state trial. That witness had been the victim of an armed robbery, committed by Brian Lewis, the leader of the Elm Street Piru gang for all of South Carolina. Lewis commissioned Williamson and others, as members and leaders in Elm Street Piru, to murder the anticipated victim/witness in order to avoid a lengthy sentence for that crime. Law enforcement, however, was able to intercept the conspiracy before any attempt on that individual’s life could be accomplished.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney D. Josev Brewer of the Greenville office handled the case. ##
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
