The relatives of a man wanted in Clearwater helped create a false alibi to try to shield him.
By Associated Press
Published January 10, 2004
ALBANY, Ga. - A federal judge has sentenced a man wanted on felony charges in Clearwater and four family members who helped establish a false alibi to protect him.
Tommy Leon Williams Jr., who still faces domestic abuse charges in Florida, must serve two years and nine months in federal prison and three years of supervised release after his imprisonment. He pleaded guilty in August to federal charges of interstate violation of a protection order and conspiracy to obstruct justice and commit perjury.
Williams' parents and two cousins pleaded guilty in August to federal charges in connection with the false alibi scheme.
U.S. District Court Judge W. Louis Sands told Williams during sentencing Thursday that he should have refused his family's help after he broke into his ex-wife's Clearwater home in violation of a restraining order.
Parents Tommy Leon Williams Sr. and Juanita Williams were sentenced to five years' probation. Williams Sr., who admitted to being the architect of the scheme, was also sentenced to 60 days of house arrest.
"There are times when you need to say, "Son, whatever you've done, you've got to face it,' " Sands told the parents.
Cousins Terry L. Williams and Jimmy L. Williams were sentenced to three years' probation.
Terry L. Williams admitted to lying to a grand jury when he said Williams Jr. was at a barbecue at his home the evening of Dec. 6, 2002. Jimmy L. Williams admitted to lying to an FBI agent about the barbecue.
"They say people make mistakes," Terry L. Williams said. "I guess this was mine."
The group implicated Baker County Sheriff Isaac Anderson in their plot, saying that he provided them a false automobile accident report from Dec. 7, 2002, to cement their story.
Four of the family members testified at his October trial, but a jury acquitted him of taking a $1,000 bribe to file a phony police report.
