A Bloomington man has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for firearm possession and distributing cocaine. Dandre Antwan Williams, 36, of the 1200 block of Orchard Road, received a sentence of 36 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and distribution of cocaine.
At his sentencing on August 7, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley, the government stated that Williams possessed and sold a Russian firearm, a Taurus .38 revolver loaded with four rounds of special ammunition, and nearly 49 grams of cocaine in April 2024. Williams was prohibited from having firearms due to his felony conviction. Judge Hawley also determined that one firearm had a defaced serial number.
Williams was indicted in October 2024 and entered a guilty plea in March 2025. He has been held by the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest.
The statutory penalties for being a felon in possession of a firearm include up to 15 years in prison, up to three years supervised release, and fines up to $250,000. For distributing cocaine, penalties can reach up to 30 years imprisonment, six years supervised release, and fines as high as $2 million.
The case was investigated by the Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force. This group includes agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Peoria Police Department; Peoria County Sheriff’s Department; Illinois Department of Corrections; and Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz prosecuted the case.
“The case against Williams 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.”
