PITTSBURGH – Douglas Tyrone Williams, Jr., aka “Chrome”, currently age 41, formerly of Penn Hills, PA and East Pittsburgh, PA, was sentenced on August 5, 2021 by Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak to 220 months of incarceration followed by five years of supervises release by United States Probation Officers, as a result of his conviction of federal drug and gun crimes.
According to information presented to the court, Williams was on state parole after serving a lengthy sentence for his prior murder conviction in Allegheny County when he opened a Boost Mobile store in Penn Hills and began committing additional crimes.
The court was advised that the Drug Enforcement Administration had an ongoing investigation regarding overdoses caused by the use of stamp bags marked “CEO”. The Pennsylvania State Police arrested a street level drug dealer in possession of some of these stamp bags and notified the DEA. The DEA utilized information from that investigation to identify, arrest, and convict the individual’s supplier. In turn, that investigation led to the next person up the ladder, Douglas Tyrone Williams. In the course of investigating Williams, the DEA utilized law enforcement methods that included recording Williams’ cellphone conversations, recording his meetings with coconspirators, conducting both mobile and static surveillance, and executing federal search warrants at locations that included his vehicle and his Boost Mobile store. At trial, the jury learned that Williams was arrested as he attempted to sell the 15,000 stamp bags of heroin that were in his possession.
According to evidence presented at trial, the search of Williams’s Boost Mobile store revealed an additional 123 grams of “black tar” heroin, nearly $14,000.00 in cash, jewelry, four guns (two assault rifles, a 9 mm pistol and a .45 caliber pistol) and a money counter. Each of the guns was either stolen or had the serial number obliterated. Under federal law, the defendant’s possession of even a single firearm or piece of ammunition was illegal because of his prior felony convictions.
Prior to imposing the sentence on Williams, Chief Judge Hornak indicated that the government’s evidence at trial was “overwhelming” and that the current sentence was sufficient but not greater than necessary under the circumstances.
Assistant United States Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt and Special Assistant United States Attorney Chad R. Parks, a prosecutor with the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office, prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman commended the Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation that led to the prosecution of Williams, Jr. and emphasized the significant assistance they received from many other law enforcement departments including the Pennsylvania State Police, the Coraopolis Police Department, the Penn Hills Police Department, the Monessen Police Department, the Robinson Township Police Department, the Canonsburg Police Department, and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General.
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