Florida man pleads guilty in deadly shooting, tractor-trailer crash on I-295 in Henrico
VENN
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The Florida man charged in connection with a deadly shooting that caused a tractor-trailer crash on Interstate 295 in Henrico County in January 2025 has plead guilty, according to police.
On Wednesday, Jan. 21, Virginia State Police announced that 55-year-old Tony Ray Williams, of Fort Pierce, Fla., has pleaded guilty in connection with a deadly shooting that occurred on I-295 South in Henrico County on Jan. 31, 2025.
He pleaded guilty to the following charges, according to police:
- Murder: 40 years
- Use of a firearm in the commission of a felony: Three years
- Possession of a firearm by a violent felon: Five years
Williams was sentenced to a total of 48 years in prison, which police said is the maximum under sentencing guidelines.
Police said that back on Jan. 31, 2025, 58-year-old Silvio Sobrinho of Rever, Mass., was driving a tractor-trailer in the left lane of I-295 when his vehicle was hit by a second tractor-trailer driving in the center lane.
According to officials, the impact forced Sobrinho's vehicle off of the road, where it then hit a metal guardrail and stopped. Police said Sobrinho was later found dead with a gunshot wound.
The Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Richmond Field Office investigated the shooting and subsequent crash with assistance from law enforcement partners in Florida. Virginia State Police also thanked the Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office in a press release for its collaboration and prosecutorial support throughout the case.
