A Mobile man with multiple prior felony convictions was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison after he was found in possession of a loaded handgun despite being barred by law from owning firearms.
Artez Martre Williams, 24, was arrested on November 20, 2025, after Mobile Police Department narcotics investigators executed a search warrant at his home, according to court documents. During the search, officers found a loaded Glock 9mm pistol in the closet of Williams’s bedroom, located near paperwork bearing his name, including a probation drug-testing card and documents from a previous prison sentence.
Investigators also found marijuana hidden in Williams’s shoes and baggies commonly used to package drugs for distribution in a carport attached to the home, along with a Taurus pistol magazine. Several rounds of 9mm ammunition were recovered from Williams’s vehicle, which was parked in front of the house.
During an interview with detectives, Williams admitted the pistol was his and said he kept it for protection from rival gang members, according to court records. He acknowledged he was on federal supervised release and state probation stemming from prior felony convictions, including discharging a firearm into an occupied building, first-degree theft of property, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to a fraudulent COVID-19 relief loan.
U.S. District Judge Kristi K. DuBose sentenced Williams to 30 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, during which he will be subject to drug testing and treatment. The judge did not impose a fine but ordered Williams to pay a $100 special assessment and forfeit the pistol to the United States.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced the sentence. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice initiative that partners federal, state and local law enforcement with community organizations to reduce violent crime and gun violence. Under federal law, anyone previously convicted of a felony is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition, a rule prosecutors say is central to efforts to reduce repeat violent offenses.