Recidivist Felon Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 30 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a multi-convicted felon. According to court documents, Artez Martre Williams, 24, was arrested on November 20, 2025, by Mobile Police Department narcotics investigators who executed a search warrant at Williams’s house in Mobile. During the search, police seized a loaded Glock 9mm pistol from Williams’s bedroom closet. The pistol was lying near paperwork with Williams’s name on it, including his probation drug-testing card and documents from Williams’s prior prison sentence at the Alabama Department of Corrections. In a carport attached to the house, police found marijuana in Williams’s shoes, baggies commonly used to package and distribute drugs, and a Taurus pistol magazine. Police also seized several rounds of 9mm ammunition from Williams’s vehicle, which was parked in front of the house. During an interview with detectives, Williams admitted that the pistol found in his closet was his and that he kept it for protection from members of rival gangs who would try to commit violence against him. Williams confirmed that he was on federal supervised release and state probation for prior felony convictions, that he knew he was a felon, and that he knew he was not supposed to possess firearms. Williams’s prior felony convictions include discharging a gun into an occupied building, first-degree theft of property, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud relating to a fraudulent COVID-19 relief loan that Williams obtained. In addition to the 30-month prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Kristi K. DuBose ordered Williams to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time Williams will be subject to drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge DuBose ordered Williams to pay $100 in special assessment and forfeited Williams’s 9mm pistol to the United States. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case 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.