Devere Williams, a 36-year-old resident of Troy, New York, has been indicted on charges related to drug and firearm offenses. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Williams faces charges for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, he could face a prison sentence ranging from at least five years to life in federal prison. Additionally, there is the possibility of a fine up to $1 million and supervised release for up to five years.
The indictment against Williams consists only of accusations at this stage. "The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty," stated officials.
A judge will determine any sentence based on the specific statutes violated, along with U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other considerations.
Williams appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Paul J. Evangelista in Albany for arraignment and will remain detained until his hearing scheduled for February 21. The FBI is leading the investigation into this case, while Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph S. Hartunian and Nicholas Walter are handling prosecution duties.
