FEDERAL FELON PLEADS GUILTY TO GUN CHARGES RELATED TO SHOOTOUT AT CARTER-HOWELL-STRONG PARK

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - Joseph C. Williams, 63, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

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."

Court documents reflect that on November 19, 2024, the defendant was stopped for traffic violations while riding an electric bicycle on the roadway. During the traffic stop, the police officer observed a firearm barrel sticking out of the defendant's shorts. The officer handcuffed the defendant and then removed the firearm.

The defendant subsequently bonded out of jail and, on April 11, 2025, the defendant was involved in a gunfight in broad daylight at Carter-Howell-Strong Park in Tallahassee. During the shootout, the defendant was shot in the foot and sought medical attention at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. Law enforcement found blood and a firearm in the backseat of the defendant's girlfriend's car. The firearm ballistics matched shell casings recovered from the park shooting.

The defendant was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to multiple felony convictions, including four state convictions for armed robbery and federal convictions for Armed Bank Robbery and Using and Carrying a Firearm during and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.

The defendant faces at least 15 years' imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment, at sentencing.

The case involved an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 28, 2026, at 9:00 at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle.

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.

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 FloridaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.