United States Drug Enforcement Administration

Aberdeen, MS – A Cleveland man was sentenced today to 151 months in prison for distribution of cocaine.

According to court documents, Anthony Williams, a/k/a “Big Ant”, 45, of was convicted of sale and distribution of cocaine.  Williams was sentenced as a career offender having been previously convicted of two prior felony drug trafficking crimes. 

Senior U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson sentenced Williams to 151 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.

“This defendant is a repeat offender who chose to continue to commit crimes in this district, and now he is paying the price,” stated U.S. Attorney Scott Leary. “We will continue to work with our partners to remove career criminals from our communities.”

“The distribution of illegal drugs that poison and destroy our communities will not be tolerated in Mississippi,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to dismantling drug trafficking operations and holding offenders accountable. The FBI would like to thank the DEA and the Cleveland Police Department for their partnership and commitment in apprehending offenders. The message is clear: if you distribute drugs in our communities, you will be apprehended and brought to justice.”

“Through the historic collaboration of the Homeland Security Task Force, we have removed a career drug trafficker from the streets of north Mississippi,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer, New Orleans Division. “This prosecution represents our unwavering commitment under Executive Order 14159 to protect our communities from the criminal elements that drive violence and exploit our borders.”

The FBI, Cleveland Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad M. Doleac prosecuted the case.

This operation and conviction 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 tin 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 Jackson comprises agents and officers from FBI, DEA and Cleveland Police Department with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.