Beloit Woman Pleads Guilty to Intimidating a Witness

Tiana Williams is 7th Person Convicted of a Federal Crime in Past Year As Result of Investigations by G-ROC in Rock County

MADISON, WIS. – John W. Vaudreuil, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Tiana Williams, 25, Beloit, Wis., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Madison to conspiring to intimidate a witness in connection with a federal heroin investigation. U.S. District Court Judge James D. Peterson scheduled sentencing for June 4, 2015, at 11:00 a.m. Williams faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

At the plea hearing, the prosecution’s evidence established:

a. In August 2014 Charles Evans was the subject of a federal grand jury investigation involving the Safe Streets Violent Crime Initiative, a group of local and federal law enforcement agencies working to address drug-related violence in Rock County.

b. On August 22, 2014, when a drug customer (referred to here as “the victim”) failed to pay Evans for previously-purchased heroin, Evans assaulted the victim and broke the victim’s jaw. Shortly after the assault, the victim paid the drug debt to Evans.

c. Evans was on state probation at the time of the beating. Based on the reported beating, the state probation office took Evans into state custody in the Rock County Jail on a probation violation.

d. While Evans was in jail, he directed Williams to persuade the victim to change his testimony.

e. In furtherance of this conspiracy, and to accomplish its objectives, on September 19, 2014, Williams drove to the residence of the victim and attempted to meet with him in an effort to convince him to change his testimony.

Williams also admitted at today’s plea hearing that she was involved with Evans in a conspiracy to distribute heroin, and she will be sentenced as if convicted of the drug conspiracy.

Evans pleaded guilty on March 18 in federal court to distributing heroin, and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

With her guilty plea, Williams becomes the seventh person convicted of a federal drug or gun crime in the past year as the result of investigations by G-ROC, a task force formed through the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Violent Crime Initiative. Its members include the FBI; Rock County Sheriff’s Office; Rock County District Attorney’s Office; Beloit Police Department; and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of Williams and Evans is being handled by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Sinnott.