Convicted Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearms Possession
Jackson, TN – Reginald Dontae Williamson, Jr., 26, has been sentenced to 77 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of firearms. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on August 20, 2019, investigators with the Jackson Police Department Gang Unit were assisting the U.S. Marshals Service while serving an arrest warrant at the defendant’s residence in Jackson. As agents with the USMS were inside the residence securing Williamson, JPD officers saw two partially smoked marijuana cigarettes in an ashtray in the living room. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the home, which revealed a black 12-gauge shotgun and a Mac-10 pistol in a bedroom closet. The shotgun had been stolen in 2017 during an automobile burglary in Jackson. Both guns were loaded.
As a result of his prior felony convictions, including aggravated burglary, theft of property, aggravated riot and vandalism, Williamson is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On July 21, 2020, Williamson pled guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of the 12-gauge shotgun and the Mac-10 pistol.
On November 6, 2020, U.S. Chief District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Williamson to 77 months in federal prison followed by three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Gun crime remains a pervasive problem in too many communities across West Tennessee, including Jackson. Congress enacted the statutory prohibitions of federal firearms laws to keep guns out of the hands of presumptively risky people, and the government has a strong interest in preventing people who already have disrespected the law, including felons, from possessing guns. This sentence removes two dangerous threats from the streets: a risky recidivist felon, and stolen firearms.”
The Jackson Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Morrow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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