Home / Crime and Justice / Felon's Gun Possession Lands Him 14 Years in Prison
Felon's Gun Possession Lands Him 14 Years in Prison
30 Aug
Summary
- A Decatur man received 14 years for illegally possessing a firearm.
- His criminal history includes voluntary manslaughter and drug offenses.
- The stolen gun he possessed was linked to an injury shooting.
Jesse James Williams Jr., 51, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm. A federal jury found him guilty in December 2025 after a four-day trial. Williams was arrested on May 29, 2024, when a traffic stop revealed a stolen pistol and crack cocaine in his possession. Investigations connected the firearm to a shooting in Decatur that left a woman injured.
Williams's lengthy criminal record boasts over 14 felony convictions, including cocaine trafficking, robbery, burglary, and weapons offenses. Notably, he has a 2011 voluntary manslaughter conviction stemming from a dispute over a mere $10 drug debt. Federal authorities emphasized that this sentence sends a strong message to repeat offenders who arm themselves and endanger communities.
