Joseph C. Williams, 63, of Tallahassee, pleaded guilty on Mar. 13 to two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in federal court. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address violent crime and illegal firearm possession among repeat offenders. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “When President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi launched Operation Take Back America to marshal the full resources of the Department of Justice toward protecting our communities from violent criminals, this defendant was precisely the type of serial, violent felon they had in mind. My office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting these cases until our communities are safe from thugs like this.”
According to court documents, Williams was stopped for traffic violations while riding an electric bicycle on Nov. 19, 2024. During the stop, police found a firearm barrel protruding from his shorts and confiscated the weapon after handcuffing him. After bonding out of jail, Williams was involved in a daylight gunfight at Carter-Howell-Strong Park on Apr. 11, 2025, where he sustained a foot injury and sought treatment at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. Law enforcement later recovered blood and a firearm from his girlfriend’s car; ballistics matched shell casings from the park shooting.
Williams is prohibited from possessing firearms due to multiple felony convictions including four state convictions for armed robbery as well as federal convictions for Armed Bank Robbery and Using and Carrying a Firearm during and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
Sentencing is set for May 28 at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before Judge Robert L. Hinkle; Williams faces at least 15 years’ imprisonment with a maximum possible sentence of life.
The investigation involved the Tallahassee Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and reducing violent crime.
The Justice Department includes more than 115,000 employees operating across the United States and internationally according to its official website. It focuses on upholding the rule of law, ensuring national safety and safeguarding civil rights as detailed online. Merrick Garland has led the department as its 86th Attorney General since March 11, 2021 according to official records. The department maintains operations throughout all states and over fifty countries as reported by DOJ, serves as principal federal law enforcement agency according to its website, and has overseen major prosecutions such as those following the Oklahoma City bombing as per DOJ history.
As part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy, officials urge residents to lock their car doors—especially overnight—to help prevent burglaries that can supply guns to criminals.
