Boston man charged with illegal possession of loaded firearm

BOSTON – A Boston man was charged yesterday in federal court in Boston with illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition. The defendant led police on a car chase before he was apprehended in Chelsea.

Raughn Williams, 22, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Williams was arrested on state charges on Aug. 10, 2020, and has been in custody since. He will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date.

According to charging documents, on Aug. 10, 2020, a Massachusetts State Police trooper attempted to pull over a vehicle driven by Williams on Storrow Drive in Boston for a tinted windows violation. Williams refused to pull over, and instead led police on a chase down Storrow Drive and onto the Tobin Bridge. Williams exited the Tobin Bridge into Chelsea, where he crashed the vehicle into two other cars and then he and his passenger fled on foot. Williams was apprehended and a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition was recovered. Federal law prohibits Williams from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a prior felony conviction.

The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes made the announcement. Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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