U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Scott Anthony Williams, age 45, of Laurel, Maryland and Taeyan Raymond Williams, age 26, of Morgantown, West Virginia to 23 years and 12.5 years in federal prison, respectively, each followed by five years of supervised release, for a drug trafficking conspiracy and for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Scott Williams was also convicted for conspiracy to destroy and conceal evidence related to these crimes. At sentencing, Judge Chuang gave the defendants an above guidelines sentence, in part, because he found that, at a minimum, Scott Williams and Taeyan Williams knew of, took advantage of, and profited from the murder of their marijuana supplier.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Washington Division; and Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) Baltimore.
According to the evidence presented at the twelve-day trial, from approximately October 2017 until April 6, 2018, the victim sold and distributed marijuana and marijuana products to Scott Williams (“S. Williams”), Taeyan Williams (“T. Williams”), their family members, and associates. The defendants sold the products received from the victim to other distributors for resale and to end drug users. The defendants also sold and distributed cocaine to the victim for further distribution. As a result of various transactions between the defendants and the victim, T. Williams and members of his family, including S. Williams, became indebted to the victim. According to witness testimony, on April 6, 2018, the victim planned to meet with T. Williams and S. Williams to discuss the debt that they owed to the victim, and to provide the defendants with marijuana and marijuana products.
As detailed in trial testimony, shortly before that meeting, the victim’s supplier in California had a large shipment of marijuana and marijuana products delivered to the victim’s storage unit in Jessup, Maryland. Trial evidence showed that on April 5, 2018, and April 6, 2018, the victim retrieved controlled substances from his storage unit in Jessup, Maryland and stayed at a short-term rental property in Baltimore, Maryland. On the afternoon of April 6, the victim traveled from Baltimore to Laurel, Maryland, where S. Williams lived. Location data reflects that at 1:32 p.m., the victim was approximately 1.5 miles from Scott Williams’ residence. On April 6, 2018, at approximately 1:52 p.m., the victim saved a note to a ledger and accounting of marijuana that the victim sold to T. Williams and monies paid or owed from him, which the victim maintained in his email account.
The government presented evidence that on April 7, 2018, conspirators drove the victim’s vehicle to a Baltimore parking lot where they parked the vehicle, cleaned it, and then drove away in S. Williams’s rented car. The victim’s DNA and blood were later recovered from the rear bumper, lift gate, passenger side door frame, and trunk carpeting of the victim’s abandoned vehicle. Further, the evidence showed that between 8:37 p.m. on April 6, 2018, and 8:31 p.m. on April 8, 2018, someone in S. Williams’s rented car used the victim’s PIN number to enter the Jessup storage facility. Between April 8, 2018, and June 6, 2018, the defendants hid the victim’s drugs in S. Williams’ home in Laurel. When law enforcement executed a search warrant at the home on June 6, 2018, they recovered large quantities of marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine, as well as four firearms: a 9mm handgun; a 7.62 caliber-rifle; a .38 caliber handgun; and a .25 caliber handgun. A copy of the victim’s ledger was also found under S. Williams’ bed in the home. The body of the victim was never located.
During sentencing, Judge Chuang found that the death of the victim was connected to the drug conspiracy for which S. Williams and T. Williams were convicted; that the defendants knew of the killing of the victim; and that the defendants took advantage of the situation by taking the victim’s marijuana and profiting from it.
Finally, the evidence also proved that between June 6, 2018, and his initial appearance on federal charges in January 2019, S. Williams sought to conceal and destroy evidence related to the ongoing investigation, including by asking an associate to delete information from his electronic storage account and phone.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the Maryland State Police, the DEA, and HSI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah B. Grossi, William D. Moomau, and Michael C. Hanlon who prosecuted the federal case.
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