U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg | U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Leon Williams, 35, of Clearwater, to 15 years in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon under the Armed Career Criminal Act. The court ordered Williams to forfeit a Taurus firearm, a Sig Sauer firearm, and assorted rounds of ammunition linked to the offense. Williams had pleaded guilty on July 25, 2024.
Court documents reveal that on January 3, 2024, Clearwater Police Department officers executed a search warrant at a residence shared by Williams and his co-defendant Robert Pugh. The warrant followed controlled cocaine purchases from Williams. During the search, two loaded firearms—a Taurus handgun and a Sig Sauer handgun—were discovered along with approximately 60 grams of marijuana and 70 grams of cocaine. Digital scales and drug distribution paraphernalia were also found. Additional ammunition was located in Williams' bedroom; he admitted ownership of this ammunition, and DNA evidence connected him to the Sig Sauer handgun.
Williams had previous felony convictions, including nine related to controlled substances sales, making it illegal for him to possess firearms or ammunition under federal law.
Robert Pugh received a ten-year federal prison sentence on September 18, 2024.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives alongside the Clearwater Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang prosecuted it.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative uniting law enforcement at all levels with communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a strategy enhancing PSN's core principles: building trust within communities, supporting organizations preventing violence before it occurs, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
