United States Drug Enforcement Administration

(NEW YORK -   - Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced that Steven Williams was found guilty Friday of conspiring to distribute kilogram quantities of heroin and cocaine. Williams was convicted after a one-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield.
 
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “As the jury swiftly concluded, Steven Williams spent six years covertly transporting massive amounts of cocaine and heroin into New York City.  Williams now stands convicted of profiting off of the destruction that drug trafficking brings to our community, and will face justice for his crime.”
  
According to the evidence introduced at trial, other proceedings in this case, and documents previously filed in Manhattan federal court:
 
Between 2009 and August 2015, Williams conspired with others to traffic in excess of 100 kilograms of cocaine and 40 kilograms of heroin from California to New York. Williams held himself out to be in the music business, and used his music business as a front to ship multi-kilogram quantities of heroin and cocaine across the country via industrial freight shipping companies, with heroin and cocaine hidden in speakers, amplifiers, and copy machines. 

Williams, 46, of New York, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life in prison.  The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.  A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled before Judge Schofield.   
 
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force, which comprises agents and officers of the DEA, the New York City Police Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, the New York State Police, the U. S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshal Service, New York National Guard, the New York Department of Taxation and Finance, the Clarkstown Police Department, the Port Washington Police Department, and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.  The Strike Force is partially funded by the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking (HIDTA), which is a federally funded crime fighting initiative.
 
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Rebekah Donaleski and Lara Pomerantz are in charge of the prosecution.