Andrew Pace
Brittish Williams, a former star of the VH1 reality show Basketball Wives, was sentenced to four years in prison in October 2023 for multiple fraud felonies. She pleaded guilty to 15 felony charges, including tax fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, and misuse of a Social Security number. Williams was also ordered to pay $564,069 in restitution and will be under supervised release for five years following her prison sentence. However, she failed to report to prison as ordered on January 3, 2024, and was subsequently taken into custody by U.S. Marshals.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Brittish "Cierrah" Williams |
| Age | 34 |
| Date of Sentence | October 2023 |
| Sentence | 4 years in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and $564,069 in restitution |
| Charges | 15 felonies, including misuse of a Social Security number, bank fraud, making false statements to the IRS, and wire fraud |
| Plea | Guilty |
| Status | In custody of U.S. Marshals |
| Appeal | Denied by the United States Court of Appeals |
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What You'll Learn
Brittish Williams' no-show for prison
Former "Basketball Wives LA" and “Marriage Boot Camp” star Brittish Williams was sentenced to four years in prison in October 2023. However, she failed to report to the Federal Prison Camp in Alderson, West Virginia, on January 3, 2024, as ordered by the court.
Williams, 34, pleaded guilty in May 2023 to 15 felony charges, including five counts of misuse of a Social Security number, four counts of bank fraud, three counts of making false statements to the IRS, and three counts of wire fraud. She was indicted in September 2021.
Following her failure to show up at the prison, Williams was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals. Her lawyer attributed her absence to a miscommunication and requested an extension of her surrender date until her sentence reduction hearings were completed. The lawyer's argument stated that the court's decision to treat Williams differently from other similarly-situated defendants due to her celebrity status resulted in an unreasonable sentencing process.
Williams's appeal for resentencing was denied by the United States Court of Appeals, which stated that the district court did not abuse its discretion. She is currently serving her four-year sentence and has shared photos of herself behind bars with her fans.
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Williams' fraud schemes
Brittish "Cierrah" Williams, a former star on the reality TV show "Basketball Wives LA", was sentenced to four years in prison in October 2023 for her involvement in multiple fraud schemes. Williams pleaded guilty to 15 felony charges, including tax fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, misuse of a Social Security number, and making false statements to the IRS. She was also ordered to pay \$564,069 in restitution for her crimes.
The total known losses from Williams' fraud schemes were $446,082, according to prosecutors. Her crimes had a significant financial impact on her victims, and she displayed a blatant disregard for their well-being. As a result, the judge in her case felt that her crimes deserved to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Williams' lawyer argued that her celebrity status as a reality TV star influenced the severity of her sentence and that she was treated unfairly due to her fame. The lawyer claimed that the district court sentenced Williams based on her status as a public figure, believing that she failed to live up to the court's ideal of a role model. However, prosecutors scoffed at this suggestion, and the United States Court of Appeals denied Williams' plea to be resentenced.
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Williams' four-year prison sentence
Brittish "Cierrah" Williams, a former star on the VH1 reality show "Basketball Wives", was sentenced to four years in prison in October 2023. She was indicted in September 2021 on 15 felony charges, including tax, bank, and wire fraud, as well as misuse of a Social Security number and making false statements to the IRS. Williams pleaded guilty in May 2023 to all charges and was ordered to pay \$564,069 in restitution and serve five years of supervised release following her prison term.
Williams failed to report to Federal Prison Camp Alderson in West Virginia on January 3, 2024, as ordered, resulting in her being taken into custody by U.S. Marshals. She had previously been granted an extension by the court to spend the Christmas holiday with her 5-year-old daughter.
Williams's lawyer claimed that the reality star was treated unfairly due to her fame and that the district court sentenced her based on her status as a celebrity, arguing that she was punished for her celebrity rather than for fraud. However, the United States Court of Appeals denied Williams's plea to be resentenced, stating that the district court did not abuse its discretion.
Williams's sentence stems from a scheme involving financial crimes and fraud. Prosecutors stated that Williams and her co-conspirators received nearly \$140,000 from insurance companies by filing fake medical bills. Additionally, she failed to pay taxes on her \$90,000 annual salary and submitted false applications for COVID-19 relief loans, receiving \$144,400 which she used to fund her lavish lifestyle. The total known losses from Williams's fraud schemes were \$446,082.
While serving her sentence, Williams has shared photos of herself on social media, posing with a smile and flashing her hands and legs. These updates have been welcomed by her fans, who have been eager for any news or activity from the former reality star.
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Williams' appeal of her prison sentence
In May 2023, Brittish Williams pleaded guilty to 15 felony charges, including five counts of misuse of a Social Security number, four counts of bank fraud, three counts of making false statements to the IRS, and three counts of wire fraud. She was indicted in September 2021. The former star of "Basketball Wives LA" and "Marriage Boot Camp" was sentenced in October 2023 to four years in prison, five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $564,069 in restitution.
Williams appealed the sentence, arguing that the district court calculated a higher guideline range than what was explicitly agreed upon by the parties. Her lawyer also claimed that Williams was treated unfairly due to her fame and status as a reality TV celebrity. The lawyer argued that the district court treated Williams differently than it would have treated any other similarly situated defendant and that her celebrity status should not have been considered during sentencing.
The United States Court of Appeals denied Williams' plea to be resentenced, stating that "the district court did not abuse its discretion" when considering Williams' celebrity status. The government asked the higher court to deny the appeal, disagreeing with the suggestion that Williams was treated unfairly due to her fame.
Williams' failure to report to prison on the surrender date of January 3, 2024, after a judge granted her request to spend the Christmas holiday with her daughter, resulted in her being taken into custody by U.S. Marshals.
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Williams' photos from prison
Brittish "Cierrah" Williams, a former star on "Basketball Wives LA" and "Marriage Boot Camp", was sentenced to four years in prison in October 2023. Williams pleaded guilty to 15 felonies, including bank fraud, wire fraud, and misuse of a Social Security number. She was also ordered to pay a restitution of $564,069 and will be on supervised release for five years after completing her prison sentence.
Williams was initially supposed to surrender and report to the Federal Prison Camp in Alderson, West Virginia, on January 3, 2024. However, she failed to show up and was subsequently arrested in St. Louis and taken into the custody of U.S. Marshals. She was later transferred to a low-security prison in Minnesota.
The first photos of Williams in prison surfaced online in April 2024, and she appeared to be in good spirits, smiling and striking various poses. She was dressed in a grey sweatsuit, paired with a watch, sneakers, and hoop earrings. Her makeup was also noted to be glamorous, with a smokey eye and a bold red lip, and her hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail.
In September 2024, new photos of Williams surfaced, shared by her former castmate, Brooke Bailey, on Instagram. These photos showed Williams flashing a smile, with her hands on her hips and legs crossed. She wore a short-sleeved top with matching pants, a white watch, and sneakers, and her hair was styled in a top bun.
Williams's lawyer appealed the four-year sentence, arguing that the district court treated her unfairly due to her celebrity status and imposed a higher sentence than agreed upon. However, the United States Court of Appeals denied the plea, stating that the district court did not abuse its discretion.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Brittish Williams is currently serving a four-year prison sentence.
She was indicted in 2021 and pleaded guilty in May 2023 to 15 felony charges, including tax fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, and misuse of a Social Security number.
Williams was sentenced in October 2023 to four years in prison, five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay \$564,069 in restitution.
No, Williams did not report to the Federal Prison Camp in Alderson, West Virginia, on January 3, 2024, as ordered by the court. She was subsequently taken into custody by U.S. Marshals.
Yes, Williams appealed the sentence, arguing that she was treated unfairly due to her fame. However, her appeal was denied by the United States Court of Appeals.
