104-10074-10072] ~ P ATL-4-75 44 January 1975 Me TMORAUDUY FOR RECORD ‘Jonn Kk. Peterson Atlanta 8eaident Office Response to Call~in to Agency Meadquarters/Tnittal Contact (Yelephone) with Joha Danial Williamson, Carrollton, Seor2gta 1. On 7 January 1975 Albert S$. Coleman of tha Washington Field Grfice called us to pass on information that he had juat been given by : a DCD Headquarters, regarding a call received by the Agency ; uty officer en New Year's Eva from one John Daniel Williamsaen of Carrellton, Georgia. Williamson identified himself as a Hethodist minister and gave his address as Route #2, Box 3646, Carrolitoa, Georgia, Phone: (4043 354-8443, 2. Ia his call toe Agency Headquarters, Hilliamson said that he had a iriend who had infersation on the impending overthrow of a foreign rovern- ment. The information regarded illegal shipment ef arma from the US to the foreign country. Williamson said that bis friend had wanted te try ta sell tha information to the foreign country concerued but that when the friend told Williamsen about it Williamson prevailed on kim to lat him (Williamson) bring it to the attention of the proper gevermment agency, resulting in his call to our headquarters on New Year's Eve. Willianson - asked thar aemeone from the Agency be put in contact with him. 3, On the afternoon of 7 January 1975, after verifying through the phone operator thar Williamaon waa Listed im the Carreliten area (he actually lives at Roopville, Georgia, on Tyus Road, but the Reepville phones are handled under the Carrollton exchange}, we called bis number. Wa were informed by a young male voice, apparently his son, that Niiliamson was indeed a Methedisc minister, but that he taught school every day during the week in the high school at Franklin, Georgia, except on Saturdays when he worked o11 day at a hardwava stors at Reeckmart, Georgia. We were told — that he prsachad on Sunday mornings. We wera net told what he does on Sunday aftexrneons. Since he was not to be et home until after: 3 PH, we called him. from our own home thak some evening. Le aN 4, Williamson seemed to ba expectiag our call although we had z : identified ourselves during the sarilar call. He save us essentially ha. i gama information furnishad during his New Year's Eva call, da said that the friend about whom he called is a “former parishioner and lives in the ; Carrollton araa.” Ue preferred not ta previde us with Che friend's vane and address. The informacion, however—that which we ware abla to agcettain--~sounded on the ap-and-up. as far as ite. Williasaou's vart in it was concerned, for he seemed to be a sincera and weil intentioned individ- ual. Wen ve exied to at least learn the name of the Soreign country diuveived, Wililumgon said that his friend would net give bia that information 7 0 Le Vole CL wee TW OL
14-00000 oe? ew ATL -4-75 14 January 1375 5. Wa did learn that the friend whom Williamson deseribed as a business consultant. ‘a kind of a high-finance nan involved in setting up corporations,’ who often travela abroad, had been appreached by soueone “locally, d.e., in the Carrollton-West Atlanta area (Carrollton is about 40 miles west of Atlanta). The friend waa said to be “a good friend. a reliabde man, a college graduate, an established man in the commmity. . According to Jilliameen, the friend was ' approached because of the nature of his work te perform some sort of * task for the group, and he “knaw that semathing was wrong.’ The friend then learned all he could about thea planned operation and eventually talked with Yilliamson about it. The friend told Williamsen that the gun-rumning operation had been soing on fer about a yaar. 6. At one point Williamson said that hia friend told him that “the peopla involved in this ching won't hesitate to kill him (the friend) and he knows that he's geing te have to leave this part of the country when it comas to light.'' Williamson told ua: “I feel like L'va. got this man’s life in ay hands and I don’t want to de anything to jeopardize hia life, because I know him and hia family amd all.” Williamson suggested that wa meet his friend at tha Capea and Swerd Metel restaurant on I-20, near Six Flags Over Georgia, west of Atlanta, and be agadd that the owe of thea had already talked of this as a good meeting place. We teld Williamson that we would be glad te ucet with his friend but first we would iike for his friend to give ue a call so that wa nay talk with him. We gave our offices phone number to Williamson. As of tha writing of this memorandum, we have hed na call. 7. From the information that Williauson vrovided, ¢.g., location of peopla involved, an attempt to meet with an Agency representative {to possibly get us involved merely by association), we believa that much of the substance of the matter could ba the same as that which was. . teported from this offica to OSS as related by Stephen Van Cleave regarding Miteh Werbell, et al. (See ATL-39-74, 28 February 1974, Resume of Contacts with Stephen Van Gleave; ATL-53-74, 9 April 1974, Stephen Van Cleave.) Miteh Narbell’s operation, which hag bean degeribed lecally as a “machine-gun factory,” is locatad at Powder Springs, Georgia, about ten miles north of the I-20 Capa and Sword Motel. At say rata, Hr. Willianson's friend has been given the opportunity ke contaer UE and we ara awaiting his call. : JOHN RK. PETERSON B2 TRPDET CL BY 619650 ‘ Crore SEG Citas