A federal judge has sentenced Miguel Yasmir Williams, 35, of Elizabeth City to 14 years in prison following his guilty plea to charges of possessing cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm as a felon. Williams entered his plea on January 29, 2025.
“Miguel Williams kept on selling drugs and poisoning our communities. No more,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “This prison sentence puts him out of business. Law enforcement officers caught this dangerous drug dealer armed with a gun that he used to terrorize good citizens and families. We will ensure he pays the price for harming our communities by spending a long time in prison.”
Elizabeth City Police Interim Chief Eddie Graham commented on the impact of drugs in the community: “For too long, drugs have profoundly affected the lives of countless individuals in our community. We want to send a clear message: if you are engaged in selling this poison, especially to our family members, we will not stand idly by. We are committed to actively pursuing those who distribute these harmful substances. Weapons and drugs will no longer plague our community.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones addressed the link between drug dealing and gun violence: “There is an absolute connection between drug dealing and gun violence in our communities,” she said. “A firearm in the hands of a drug dealer and felon is a serious danger, and ATF and our law enforcement partners will continue to do everything possible to apprehend those that pose these threats to our communities.”
Court records show that police responded to an emergency call at a downtown Elizabeth City bar on February 10, 2024. Emergency medical services found Williams unresponsive at the scene; while preparing him for hospital transport, EMS personnel saw the handle of a loaded stolen handgun sticking out from his pocket. At the hospital, staff discovered Williams had multiple small bags containing cocaine intended for distribution.
Williams’s sentence was increased due to prior convictions for kidnapping, possession with intent to manufacture or sell cocaine, and larceny of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle announced the sentencing after Judge Dever’s ruling. The case was investigated by the Elizabeth City Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with prosecution handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phil Aubart and Robbie Dodson.
The prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide effort using Department of Justice resources against illegal immigration as well as violent crime linked with cartels and transnational criminal organizations through initiatives such as OCDETFs (Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
