Brandon Bernard Williams, age 41 of Palmetto, has been indicted for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, according to an April 22 announcement from U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
The case is significant because Williams was allegedly in possession of ammunition on March 5 while he was serving supervised release for previous federal convictions, including a prior firearms offense. Under federal law, individuals with felony convictions are prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
If found guilty, Williams could face up to 15 years in federal prison. Prosecutors emphasized that the indictment is only a formal charge and that Williams remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang will prosecute it.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and violent crime through coordinated efforts involving the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
