After his release he began working as a community activist to help reform the lives of underprivileged minorities and youth.
He was periodically arrested on minor charges culminating in federal agents, along with the Baltimore Police Department, launching an investigation into his activities in the early 1980s.
While still in prison, his life story was featured in a series of articles written by future The Wire creator David Simon.
"Easy Money: Anatomy of a Drug Empire", a series of five articles, was published in the Baltimore Sun in 1987.
[8] In the 1999 film Liberty Heights, the character Little Melvin portrayed by actor Orlando Jones is loosely based upon Williams in the early stages of his career.
Other appearances include his cameo in Baltimore hip hop duo Dirt Platoon's video for the song "Pennsylvania Avenue" in 2010.