John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging DESI WILLIAMS, 38, of Waterbury, with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The indictment was returned on July 1, 2019. Williams appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge. Williams was ordered detained pending trial.
As alleged in the indictment, on Jan. 28, 2019, Williams possessed a loaded Smith & Wesson.22 caliber revolver.
It is further alleged that, in 2016, Williams was convicted in federal court of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and was previously convicted in state court of felony robbery, burglary and failure to appear offenses.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Williams has been detained since Jan. 28, 2019, when he was arrested by Waterbury Police on related charges.
If convicted of the offense, Williams faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Williams, who was on federal supervised release at the time of the alleged offense, also faces additional penalties if he is found to have violated the conditions of his supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Waterbury Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter D. Markle and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.
This prosecution has been brought through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
