ST. LOUIS — Reality TV personality Brittish “Cierrah” Williams, who rose to fame on VH1’s “Basketball Wives,” has been apprehended after failing to report to federal prison on January 3 to commence a four-year sentence for a series of frauds resulting in over half a million dollars.
Williams, of Chesterfield, featured in the third season of “Basketball Wives LA” in 2014 and also appeared on the 2016 WE tv show “Marriage Boot Camp,” in addition to hosting “The Home Team” on WHHL (104.1 FM). However, her recent legal troubles stem from her guilty plea last year to 15 federal charges, encompassing tax fraud, bank fraud, insurance fraud, and pandemic-related fraud. Her offenses included submitting fraudulent health insurance bills, deceiving the IRS and federal loan applications, and opening financial accounts using others’ Social Security numbers.
The sum total of her fraudulent activities is estimated to be around $564,000.
Williams had previously seen her reporting date postponed once due to her lawyer’s request for more time to assist her daughter in adjusting to her impending incarceration. Despite another delay request after Williams failed to report, the judge denied it.
Among her charges was the accusation of applying for pandemic-related rent relief in California while receiving $4,000 monthly reimbursement for housing costs from a reality TV show. Even after indictment, Williams allegedly cashed the California rent relief check for approximately $27,800 at a St. Louis bank.
Despite prosecutors advocating for Williams to be imprisoned post-guilty plea, a judge allowed her to remain free under her pledge to lead an upright life. However, on January 2, a day before her scheduled arrival at Alderson Federal Prison Camp in West Virginia, her attorney filed a motion to reduce her sentence to just over 2½ years.
Williams failed to appear at the designated prison on January 2, prompting her lawyer to request a delayed surrender date to avoid transportation between West Virginia and St. Louis for hearings on the sentence reduction motion. Federal prosecutors contested this, arguing that Williams wasn’t eligible for a reduction and found it “puzzling” that her failure to appear was justified by the pending request.
Judge Henry Autrey denied the extension request, leading to Williams’ arrest a week later. She is currently in custody, but the location has not been disclosed. A scheduled hearing this week was postponed due to her lawyer’s reported health issues related to COVID-19 and the challenging weather conditions.