A Rockford resident, Martel Williams, has been sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Williams, 33, admitted that on December 1, 2023, he had a loaded semiautomatic firearm and sold it to a confidential informant.
The sentencing took place on October 30, 2025, with U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston presiding over the case. Williams pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of ATF’s Chicago Field Division announced the sentence. The investigation was assisted by the Rockford Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodora Anderson.
“ Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to tackle a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses,” according to officials.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is an initiative used by authorities in northern Illinois to address violent crimes involving firearms and other related offenses.
