ATF - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
01/29/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/29/2026 10:00
TALLAHASSEE FELON INDICTED FOR UNLAWFUL FIREARM POSSESSION (DOJ)
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - Joseph Columbus Williams, 64, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Williams appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for March 16, 2026, at 8:15 am before District Court Judge robert L. Hinkle in Tallahassee, Florida.
Williams faces 15 years', and up to life, imprisonment on each count.
The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, human and drug trafficking.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney's Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Contact
United States Attorney's Office
Northern District of Florida
X: @USAO_NDFL
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