Wisconsin Man Sentenced to 264 Months in Prison

SOUTH BEND - Maurice Williams, 30 years old, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.

Williams was sentenced to 264 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, police in LaPorte County attempted to pull Williams over on the highway before he led police on a high-speed pursuit covering 13 miles until he crossed the Michigan border. Williams later drove back across the border into Indiana and crashed his car into the back of a semi-trailer. He ran away from the crash site but was caught. Police searched his car and found a loaded handgun with a high-capacity magazine, 52 grams of cocaine, 50 grams of fentanyl, and 190 grams of methamphetamine. Williams's criminal history included a felony drug trafficking conviction, which prohibited him from possessing a firearm.

"While wanted on a warrant from a different state, Maurice Williams transported a full menu of harmful drugs-methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine-into the Northern District of Indiana," said Acting U.S. Attorney Proctor. "He then endangered the lives of numerous citizens on the highway while leading law enforcement on a multi-state high-speed chase that ended in a crash. The lengthy sentence imposed today makes clear that such disregard for the law and the safety of our community will not be tolerated. We should all thank the state, local, and federal partners who have brought this case to a just conclusion."

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the LaPorte County Sheriff's Office, the Lake County Sheriff's Office, and the Indiana State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joel Gabrielse and Acting Criminal Division Chief Joseph P. Falvey.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.