Gunman sentenced for shooting postal worker

Matthew Anthony Williams pleaded guilty June 3 to assaulting a federal employee with a deadly weapon and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

Today, U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas ordered Williams to serve 100 months for the assault and a consecutive 10 years for the firearms conviction. The total 220-month sentence will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. Williams was further ordered to pay $75,512 in restitution. In handing down the sentence, Judge Atlas noted this was one of the worst crime sprees she has seen, adding that he  was lucky no one was dead from his dangerous conduct.

The court enhanced the sentence, finding Williams committed the shootings while under a court protective order for threatening behavior against his girlfriend. Judge Atlas also found Williams had obstructed justice by asking his girlfriend to retract her statement about stealing her car and handgun as well as his whereabouts during the time of the shootings. He also asked her to destroy evidence and contact the victim.

“Postal inspectors’ duties include protecting postal employees and investigating violent crimes that are committed against them,” said Adrian Gonzalez, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Houston Division. “These types of crimes are rare, but when someone attempts to take the life of one of our employees, USPIS will stop at nothing to identify those responsible and bring them to justice. We extend our appreciation to all our local, state and federal law enforcement partners that assisted with this investigation.”

On Dec. 28, 2019, Williams shot the USPS mail carrier while he was delivering mail in west Houston. Shortly thereafter, he drove to a Costco located at Interstate 10 and Bunker Hill and shot a gas station attendant. Both victims survived, but the mail carrier suffered permanent, debilitating injuries.

Williams has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. 

USPIS conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Houston Police Department and sheriff’s offices in Harris and Montgomery Counties. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Hanes and Heather Winter prosecuted the case.