BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — In a significant legal development, a man from Birmingham with a past murder conviction has been handed a 20-year prison sentence on gun and drug charges, once again steering him into the clutches of the law.
Francis Williams, aged 33, was sentenced to 240 months in prison with an additional 10 years of supervised release. His transgressions included the distribution of methamphetamine, as well as using and carrying a firearm amidst drug-trafficking activities. These charges resulted from his guilty plea entered this past March.
According to court records, the saga began when Williams sold methamphetamine on two separate occasions in April and May 2023, with a confidential informant tipping off authorities. Notably, he allegedly brandished a weapon during one of these transactions. By September 2023, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency had issued an arrest warrant against him for methamphetamine trafficking.
Law enforcement finally apprehended Williams on January 6, 2025, as he was departing a Birmingham residence. The subsequent search revealed multiple firearms in his possession, including a “Glock switch.” Due to his history of serious felony convictions, including the 2013 murder case, Williams was already prohibited from possessing firearms.