Rock Island Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Gun and Cocaine Charges

DAVENPORT, Iowa - A Rock Island man was sentenced on January 28, 2026, to seven years in federal prison for false statements during purchases of firearms, possession with intent to deliver cocaine, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to drug trafficking.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Lashawn Leroy Williams, Jr., 24, purchased at least 21 firearms between September 2022 through December 2024 and falsely claimed he was not a drug user and provided a false address. Seven of the guns Williams purchased have been recovered by law enforcement, including during drug and homicide investigations. In March 2025, Williams was arrested with a distribution quantity of cocaine and a firearm with an extended magazine that he carried for protection.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Williams will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN aims to hold illegal firearm possessors and straw purchasers accountable. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN