Christian J. Williams, a 22-year-old man from Chattanooga, received a sentence exceeding six years in prison for his charge of having both a "Glock switch" and fentanyl pills. The sentencing took place before Judge Charles E. Atchley, Jr., in the federal court of the Eastern District of Tennessee, as stated in a release by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Following his incarceration, Williams faces three years of supervised release.

The court documents indicate that in December 2021, after a stolen vehicle led Chattanooga Police on a chase ending in a crash, they found Williams fleeing. Armed with a .40 caliber Glock, modified with an illegal machinegun conversion switch, Williams was captured. Along with the weapon, officers seized fentanyl pills from his possession, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

Williams agreed to plead guilty to both possessing a machinegun, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. § 922(o), and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, under Title 21, U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). The "switch" found on his Glock would allow the gun to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger, a feature classified as illegal by the National Firearms Act, which defines the switch itself as a machine gun.

The case emerged as a part of the collaborative efforts of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aiming to reduce crime and gun violence through partnerships between law enforcement and communities. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III and ATF Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson announced the sentence, marking it as a stride towards ensuring public safety. The case was brought to the court with the help of the ATF Chattanooga Field Office and the Chattanooga Police Department, as the U.S. Attorney's Office announcement elucidates.

Assistant United States Attorney Kevin T. Brown represented the prosecution. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Project Safe Neighborhoods continues its work to build trust within the community, support organizations that prevent violence, and strategically focus on enforcement priorities while measuring the outcomes.