CHICAGO — A man has been arrested on a federal firearm charge for allegedly illegally possessing a loaded machine gun in Chicago.
An indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges KEYZOE WILLIAMS, 21, of Chicago, with one count of illegal possession of a machine gun. The indictment accuses Williams of possessing a handgun equipped with a conversion device, also known as an “auto sear” or “Glock switch.” The device transformed the firearm into a machine gun capable of automatically shooting more than one shot with a single pull of the trigger, the indictment alleges. Williams allegedly possessed the machine gun in Chicago from February to August of this year.
Williams was arrested this morning and made an initial appearance in federal court this afternoon. U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan E. Cox scheduled a detention hearing for Dec. 14, 2021, at 3:30 p.m.
The indictment and arrest were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Kristen de Tineo, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Valuable assistance was provided by the Willowbrook, Ill., Police Department, Illinois State Police, Chicago Police Department, DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the DuPage Metropolitan Emergency Response and Investigations Team. The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Madriñan.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. Attorney Lausch and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The charge in the indictment is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
