Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Tareek Termaine Williams, 22, of Tallahassee, was sentenced today to 90 days in jail and three years of probation after pleading to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a machine gun.

On August 10, 2023, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy pulled over a Lincoln Navigator on I-75 for a potential window tint violation. The deputy noted that he immediately smelled burnt marijuana when the driver, Williams, rolled down the window. The tint measured 11 percentage points too dark.

The deputy reported that both Williams and his passenger said they did not have medical marijuana cards and gave inconsistent stories about their travel locations and dates.

A probable cause search of the vehicle reportedly produced a marijuana cigar in an ashtray. In an area that is typically used to store tools for roadside assistance, the deputy reportedly found a towel wrapped around two handguns that had been reported stolen; one had a Glock Switch attachment, which converts a semi-automatic pistol into a machine pistol capable of fully automatic fire.

Post Miranda, both Williams and his passenger denied knowing anything about the firearms.

The deputy later reviewed footage from his patrol vehicle’s backseat camera, and Williams reportedly was very interested in where deputies were searching. At one point, he reportedly began praying and said he hoped the deputies didn’t open one particular area of the vehicle; he leaned over his passenger to get a better look at where deputies were searching. Williams reportedly apologized to his passenger for putting him in that situation and said his passenger would be okay because he didn’t have any previous convictions, but he would not. At one point, Williams reportedly asked his passenger if the deputies found “them.” The deputy noted, “As the only illegal items found in the cargo area were the firearms, it is perceived that he was referring to the firearms.”

A sworn complaint was filed about a month later, charging Williams with possession of a machine gun and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Formal charges were filed, and Judge William E. Davis issued a warrant for Williams’s arrest in early November 2023, with bail set at $100,000. Williams has one adult felony conviction, seven juvenile felony convictions, and three juvenile misdemeanor convictions.

Williams was arrested on the warrant in Tallahassee on January 10, 2024, and released on bail.

Today, Williams entered a plea of nolo contendere to both charges, which have a maximum sentence of 30 years, according to the plea document. Judge Davis agreed to the plea deal that resulted in 90 days in jail followed by three years of probation for each charge, to be served concurrently.