Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan | Department of Justice
Deandre Martece Williams has been sentenced to over 27 years in prison for his involvement in a series of violent crimes committed in Detroit during 2023. The sentence, handed down by United States District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith, covers charges of felon in possession of a firearm and kidnapping. Williams’s actions included armed robberies, non-fatal shootings, and sexual assaults that affected fifteen people across eight incidents. Four victims were seriously injured and three were raped at gunpoint.
United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., who announced the sentencing, was joined by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Detroit Field Division; Chief Todd Bettison of the Detroit Police Department (DPD); and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.
The investigation began when DPD collected cartridge casings from several crime scenes. Utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), authorities identified a pattern targeting sex workers and their customers. Additional evidence gathered at crime scenes led investigators to Williams as a suspect.
On October 20, 2023, ATF agents executed a federal search warrant at Williams’s residence. He was arrested at that time and the firearm used in the robberies was recovered.
According to officials, Williams approached victims who were sitting in parked cars on neighborhood streets. He would threaten them with a handgun before robbing them and sometimes firing at them as they tried to escape. Two victims were sexually assaulted during these robberies.
Further investigation connected Williams to another case involving rape and adult kidnapping after meeting one victim through a dating app. He held this individual at gunpoint for several hours inside a hotel room while committing repeated sexual assaults.
DNA evidence obtained following his arrest linked Williams to an unsolved criminal sexual conduct case from 2012. As a result, he pleaded guilty to two counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct in Wayne County Third Circuit Court earlier this year and received an additional sentence ranging from ten years six months up to twenty years.
“We should all hate robbery and cruelty. And this sinister man did plenty of both. For years, he was prowling around our streets. But through ingenuity and hard work, the ATF and DPD made our city safer,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon.
“Deandre Williams is a ruthless predator who used firearms to dominate, violate, and destroy lives,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “He didn’t just break the law — he shattered families, preyed on the vulnerable, instilled fear, and left a trail of mayhem wherever he went. ATF’s unique firearm expertise will continue to be the bedrock of gun violence reduction efforts in Detroit. This expertise enables ATF and our law enforcement partners to identify AND target the most prolific shooters across the Detroit metropolitan community for federal prosecution. Mr. Williams is a poster child for what this partnership does: removing violent thugs from the community. Williams will now need to pack a suitcase because he will be behind bars. Exactly where he deserves to be.”
“The investigation of Deandre Williams yielded an unexpected dividend. WCPO was able to successfully prosecute Williams on a 2012 sexual assault case as a direct result of evidence collected in his federal cases. We are pleased that all of his victims will see him receive the justice he deserves,” said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted this investigation with assistance from the Detroit Police Department; prosecution was handled by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
