Christian J. Williams, 22, was sentenced to 75 months in prison by Judge Charles E. Atchley, Jr. in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Following his
incarceration, Williams will be on supervised release for three years.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Williams agreed to plead guilty to one count of possession a machinegun in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. § 922(o) and one count of possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C).
According to filed court documents, in December 2021, Chattanooga Police officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a stolen vehicle. The vehicle fled and ultimately crashed. Williams exited the passenger-side door and fled on foot. Officers gave chase, caught Williams, and found him in possession of fentanyl pills and a Glock, Model 27, .40 caliber pistol with an installed machinegun conversion device, colloquially known as a “switch.”
The “switch” enabled the pistol to fire “fully automatic,” that is, fire multiple rounds by a single pull of the trigger. Possession of a “switch” is illegal under Federal law, as the National Firearms Act classifies the “switch” itself as a machine gun.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the ATF Chattanooga Field Office, the ATF Firearms Technology Branch, and the Chattanooga Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin T. Brown represented the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.