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A Laurel, MD man convicted earlier this year on a dozen federal drug and firearms trafficking charges has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison, following a multi-month undercover investigation that uncovered illegal sales of narcotics, machineguns, and untraceable firearms.
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Thomas Emmanuel Williams, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang after being found guilty in January 2025. The charges stemmed from multiple illegal transactions Williams conducted in early 2023, where he sold firearms—including machineguns and “ghost guns”—alongside significant quantities of oxycodone, codeine, and fentanyl pills. The transactions were arranged via phone and FaceTime calls, and the deals occurred in public parking lots in Laurel and Hyattsville, Maryland.
Over the course of four meetings with an undercover law enforcement source, Williams sold a total of ten firearms and ammunition, including three “Glock switches,” which convert semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic weapons. Under federal law, these devices are classified as machineguns. The firearms included a range of models, from pistols to AR-style rifles, some of which were privately made and lacked serial numbers, complicating traceability.
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Prosecutors noted that Williams exchanged the weapons and drugs for thousands of dollars in cash during the sales. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation, with special agents Christopher Szakolczai and Katherine Rottman credited for their roles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darren S. Gardner and Dawn Williams prosecuted the case.
Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland
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