Memphis Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Firearms Charges

Memphis, TN - Charles Williams, 39, was sentenced for his role in engaging in a long-term conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in Memphis. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

Through the utilization of recorded phone calls, traffic stops, physical surveillance, and the execution of search warrants, law enforcement officers were able to determine that Charles Williams was distributing felony amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl for more than one year before his federal indictment in March 2025.

Following his guilty plea to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, United States Chief District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced the defendant to 228 months' imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney Dunavant said, "Drug dealers with guns create a culture of criminality and deserve significant punishment. Those who sow misery, addiction, and violence into our communities by distributing poison to our citizens will reap the certain consequences of a long federal prison sentence."

"This investigation disrupted a long-term conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in Memphis, Tennessee," said Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Nashville Field Office. "The FBI and our partners brought the full force of resources to bear - removing a dangerous individual and poisonous substances from the streets. Together with our Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) counterparts, the FBI will continue to pursue those who exploit our communities for profit."

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Additionally, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI); Desoto County Sheriff's Office; Bartlett Police Department; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) all assisted in the investigations of Charles Williams and his co-conspirators.

Assistant United States Attorneys Bryce Phillips and Greg Wagner prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Memphis comprises agents and officers from multiple agencies, to include the investigative agencies listed above, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee.

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