By Ethan Faverino |
Crime in Tucson has reached an alarming level, but federal prosecutors are trying to keep up with lock ups.
A Tucson gang member was sentenced to nearly 28 years in federal prison following over a decade-long investigation into a criminal street gang tied to murders, drug trafficking, firearms, and witness intimidation in southern Arizona.
David Kapone Williams, 36, of Tucson, was sentenced on September 16 by U.S. District Judge James A. Soto to 335 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Williams previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a pattern of racketeering activity.
Williams admitted to being a member of the Western Hills Bloods (WHB), a criminal street gang that operated in Tucson.
According to federal prosecutors, the Western Hills Bloods engaged in a pattern of criminal activity that included narcotics trafficking, firearms possession, witness intimidation, and violent crimes, including murder.
Court records tied Williams and other gang members to deadly violence in Tucson dating back more than a decade.
On May 15, 2015, Williams and other Western Hills Bloods members murdered a rival gang member in the parking lot of a La Quinta hotel near Tucson International Airport, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Members of the gang also participated in an October 2014 homicide near Fremont Street in Tucson.
Williams also trafficked narcotics in Tucson and across the United States on behalf of the gang.
“With Williams’ sentence, this long-fought battle to bring members of the violent Western Hills Bloods to justice finally comes to an end,” stated U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “But that doesn’t mean we are anywhere close to ending our mission to bring safety to Tucson’s streets.”
Courchaine said the case should serve as a warning to other gangs that federal prosecutors and law enforcement will continue pursuing them.
“The persistence of law enforcement and prosecutors in this case should stand as a warning to other gangs and violent offenders out there – we won’t tire in seeking justice,” he added.
Williams was the latest of several Western Hills Bloods defendants to receive lengthy federal prison sentences.
Marcell Demetrius Gray was sentenced in May to 335 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in a pattern of racketeering activity.
Michael Anthony Williams received a 262-month sentence in March 2025, while Shawmaine Eustace Ardell Moore, Samuel Lee Berrelle Rakestraw III, and Jermaine Lamar Maxwell each received 240-month prison sentences for racketeering conspiracy.
Two other defendants were convicted on firearms and narcotics charges.
Cliffton Martinez was sentenced to 78 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, while Labarr Martinez received 50 months for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Federal authorities described the prosecution as the culmination of more than a decade of efforts to hold members of the Tucson gang accountable for violence and intimidation.
“This significant sentence is part of an over ten-year effort to hold members of the Western Hills Bloods, a violent criminal street gang, accountable for their acts of violence and intimidation which they inflicted on the citizens of Tucson,” said A.J. Gibes, Special Agent in Charge for the ATF Phoenix Field Division.
“This years-long effort by ATF and our partners with the Tucson Police Department and Arizona Department of Public Safety is indicative of our unwavering commitment to protecting the public from violent armed offenders and armed drug traffickers,” Gibes added.
The investigation was conducted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice initiative that coordinates federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement efforts to address violent crime.
The program allows U.S. Attorney’s offices to tailor enforcement efforts to local violent crime and public safety concerns, with an emphasis on federal prosecution of violent offenders, coordination among law enforcement agencies, and deterrence.
Federal authorities said that while Williams’ sentencing brings the Western Hills Bloods prosecution to an end, efforts targeting gangs and violent offenders in Tucson will continue.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
