A New Orleans man has admitted to firearm possession charges linked to drug trafficking. Joshua Williams, 21, entered a guilty plea for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime before U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown on Thursday, according to a press release published by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Court records reveal that Williams engaged in the sale of marijuana in the area, leveraging Instagram accounts to showcase and presumably market his illegal activities, displaying firearms, marijuana, and substantial amounts of cash through his posts, and during this time, law enforcement officers managed to trace a stolen GMC Sierra pickup to Williams's home, where they executed a search warrant and recovered various items, including a stolen .40 caliber firearm, a nine-millimeter firearm loaded with extended magazines, and 75 grams of marijuana, some packaged for distribution, which Williams possessed to further his drug trafficking operation.
The press release indicates that the mandatory minimum sentence for the offense is five years, which could extend up to life in prison. Additionally, the potential consequences for Williams include up to three years of supervised release, fines that might reach $250,000, and a special assessment fee of $100.
Williams's case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through partnerships between law enforcement and communities. The Department of Justice strengthened these efforts with a violent crime reduction strategy launched on May 26, 2021, focusing on building trust in communities, strategic enforcement, supporting violence prevention organizations, and measuring outcomes to ensure long-term peace and security.
The case was handled by the joint efforts of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department, with prosecution led by Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit.
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