A Rockford resident has been sentenced to over seven years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Martel Williams, 33, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. According to his plea agreement, Williams admitted that on December 1, 2023, he possessed a loaded semiautomatic firearm and sold it to a confidential informant.
U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Williams on October 30, 2025, to 87 months in federal prison.
The sentencing was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of ATF’s Chicago Field Division. The Rockford Police Department assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodora Anderson represented the government in this case.
“Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to tackle a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses,” according to the announcement.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun offenses through coordinated efforts between federal prosecutors and local law enforcement agencies.
