Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that defendant Kahliq Williams, of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty on July 20, 2021 before U.S. District Court Judge Greg G. Guidry to carjacking, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and burglary of a federal firearms licensee.

Specifically, Williams pled guilty to Counts One through Four of the Indictment. Williams pled guilty to Count One and Four, which charge him with two separate carjackings, both in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1).  Williams also pled guilty to Count Two, which charges him with brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, that is, a carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(ii). Finally, Williams pled guilty to Count Three, which charges him with burglary of a Federal Firearms Licensee (“FFL”), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(u).

 

As to Counts One and Four, Williams faces a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years supervised release. As to Count Two, Williams faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years up to a maximum of life imprisonment, to be run consecutive to any other sentence imposed, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release.   Finally, as to Count Three, Williams faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years supervised release.  Williams faces a mandatory $100 special assessment cost for each count of conviction and his sentencing is scheduled for October 19, 2021.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.