An Oklahoma City man has been sentenced to over three years in federal prison after being found in possession of a firearm while being subject to a protective order. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Oklahoma reports that Randall Joseph Williams, age 56, will face 40 months behind bars, followed by two years of supervised release. This sentence comes after Williams was discovered by the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) during a home disturbance earlier this year on April 12, where he made threats to life while armed.
Police were able to recover the firearm after Williams permitted them to search his vehicle. This incident occurred despite multiple protective orders against him, including one from the Oklahoma County District Court, which stated Williams posed a credible threat to a child's safety and was explicitly prohibited from possessing any firearms. Williams pleaded guilty on June 18, after being charged by a federal Grand Jury in May, and he admitted to possessing the firearm in violation of the court's orders.
The sentencing took place on Monday, where U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick emphasized the importance of protecting the public, promoting respect for the law, and deterring future criminal conduct by Williams. U.S. Attorney's Office also highlighted the collaboration between local police forces and federal agencies in this investigation.
This conviction is part of a larger initiative called Operation Take Back America (OTBA) and, more locally, "Operation 922" in the Western District of Oklahoma. OTBA is designed to heavily draw upon the resources of the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels, and protect communities from violent crime. A focus of "Operation 922" has been to prioritize prosecution for federal crimes connected to domestic violence, making Williams' case a pertinent example of these efforts.
