Mother sentenced after buying gun for son, who is accused of shooting Phoenix officer

A woman was sentenced on Monday to 10 months in prison for purchasing a firearm for her son, who also is accused of shooting a Phoenix police officer, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Even though the pistol purchased by Erika LaRae Williams, 52, for her son, Essa Williams, was not the weapon reportedly used to shoot Phoenix police Officer Tyler Moldovan in December 2021, it is still illegal for Essa Williams to own a firearm according to state law, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release. This is due to his prior violent felony convictions, and he is prohibited from possessing firearms under state law, the news release said.

On Sept. 3, 2020, Erika Williams purchased a Taurus G3 pistol from AZESB LLC in Phoenix for Essa Williams, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. When Erika Williams was purchasing the firearm, she completed the Firearms Transactions Record, where she claimed she was the actual purchaser of the firearm, knowing she was buying it for her son, the news release said.

Later, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives obtained approval to search Erika Williams' phone, which revealed a text conversation between her and Essa Williams during the purchase of the pistol. In the text conversation, Essa Williams asked his mother which firearm was purchased, inquired about other available options, and asked if her background check had been successful, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The text also showed Erika Williams provided details to her son regarding who helped sell her the firearm and confirming the purchase was complete, the news release said.

After serving her 10-month prison sentence, Erika Williams will undergo three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Essa Williams' trial is pending in Maricopa County Superior Court in connection with the shooting of Moldovan on Dec. 14, 2021, the news release said.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said the pistol that Erika Williams bought for her son was not the firearm that he used in the shooting. On March 10, 2022, ATF obtained a search warrant for Erika Williams' house and confiscated the pistol that she bought for her son, the news release said.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mother sentenced after buying gun for son, accused of shooting officer