Laikin Williams, a 25-year-old resident of Parkersburg, has admitted guilt to making a false statement in the acquisition of a firearm. The plea was entered today in Charleston, West Virginia.
Court documents reveal that on August 5, 2022, Williams purchased a Taurus model PT111 G2A 9mm pistol from a business in Parkersburg. During the transaction, Williams falsely claimed on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that he was the actual purchaser of the firearm. He later admitted that he bought it for another individual.
Williams is set to be sentenced on March 17, 2025. He could face up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
United States Attorney Will Thompson announced the guilty plea and praised the investigative efforts of the ATF along with support from the Parkersburg Violent Crime and Narcotics Task Force.
The hearing was overseen by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston. Assistant United States Attorney D. Keith Randolph and former Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams prosecuted this case.
This prosecution falls under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), which was enacted by Congress and signed into law by the President in June 2022. BSCA specifically targets illegal firearms trafficking and straw purchases.
Further information regarding this case can be accessed through PACER by searching Case No. 2:24-cr-133.