Deandre Martece Williams has been sentenced to 327 months in prison after being convicted of felon in possession of a firearm and kidnapping, following a series of violent crimes committed in Detroit during 2023. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith, who described Williams’s actions as showing an “utter disregard for human dignity” and called his conduct “nightmarish.” According to court records, Williams targeted fifteen people over eight separate incidents within three months, resulting in serious injuries to four individuals and the rape of three victims at gunpoint.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., joined by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Detroit Field Division; Chief Todd Bettison of the Detroit Police Department (DPD); and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.
During their investigation, DPD collected cartridge casings from multiple shooting scenes. Using assistance from ATF and the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), investigators identified a pattern where sex workers and their customers were being targeted. Further evidence gathered at crime scenes led authorities to identify Williams as a suspect. On October 20, 2023, ATF agents executed a federal search warrant at Williams’s residence, arresting him and recovering the firearm used in the offenses.
Williams reportedly found many victims in parked cars on neighborhood streets. He would approach on foot with a handgun drawn through an open window or door to rob them. In several cases, he fired shots at victims attempting to escape; some sustained gunshot injuries. Two victims were raped during these robberies.
Investigators also linked Williams to another rape and kidnapping case involving an adult victim he met through a dating app. After arriving at the victim’s hotel room, Williams held them at gunpoint for several hours while committing repeated sexual assaults.
Following his arrest for these robberies, DNA evidence connected Williams to an unsolved Criminal Sexual Conduct case from 2012. He later pleaded guilty to two counts related to that incident in Wayne County Third Circuit Court and received a sentence ranging from ten years six months up to twenty years.
U.S. Attorney Gorgon stated: “We should all hate robbery and cruelty. And this sinister man did plenty of both. For years, he was prowling around our streets. But through ingenuity and hard work, the ATF and DPD made our city safer.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge James Deir said: “Deandre Williams is a ruthless predator who used firearms to dominate, violate, and destroy lives,” adding that ATF’s expertise will continue supporting efforts against gun violence in Detroit: “This expertise enables ATF and our law enforcement partners to identify AND target the most prolific shooters across the Detroit metropolitan community for federal prosecution. Mr. Williams is a poster child for what this partnership does: removing violent thugs from the community.”
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy noted: “The investigation of Deandre Williams yielded an unexpected dividend. WCPO was able to successfully prosecute Williams on a 2012 sexual assault case as a direct result of evidence collected in his federal cases. We are pleased that all of his victims will see him receive the justice he deserves.”
The case was investigated jointly by ATF and DPD with prosecution handled by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
