ALEXANDRIA, Va. – At the moment Jessica D. Aber, United States Lawyer for the Jap District of Virginia, introduced that over the course of the previous yr, EDVA’s litigative efforts have resulted within the forfeiture of at the least 164 illegally owned, possessed, used, or obtained firearms. Firearms which might be criminally forfeited are faraway from the possession of a convicted legal defendant and relinquished to the federal government for disposal, together with probably the return of the firearm to a rightful proprietor.
“Eradicating unlawful firearms from the arms of felons and different prohibited folks is a major tactic in our workplace’s efforts to scale back gun violence and preserve our communities secure,” mentioned Aber. “If not taken out of circulation, the identical weapon may be handed alongside and utilized in a number of crimes by many individuals. The forfeiture of those unlawful firearms ensures they won’t be used sooner or later in opposition to our legislation enforcement companions or neighborhood members.”
Because the begin of 2022, EDVA has charged roughly 250 defendants with federal firearms offenses, together with possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and straw buying of a firearm. These successes are a results of shut cooperation between prosecutors and companions at federal and native legislation enforcement businesses, together with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI). EDVA additionally companions with the Virginia State Police and native police and sheriffs throughout the District.
EDVA’s efforts to grab and forfeit unlawful firearms in 2022 was the results of a number of investigative and prosecutorial efforts, together with Challenge Protected Neighborhoods (PSN), which seeks to determine probably the most urgent violent crime issues in the neighborhood and develop complete options to deal with them, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Activity Forces (OCDETF), whose function is to determine, disrupt and dismantle probably the most critical drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and cash laundering organizations, and people primarily liable for the nation’s unlawful drug provide.
“The legal possession and unlawful use of firearms plague the very communities during which we reside and sometimes lead to tragic loss,” mentioned Christopher Amon, Appearing Particular Agent in Cost of the ATF Washington Subject Division. “We are going to proceed to make the most of intelligence pushed approaches as we work alongside our legislation enforcement companions to fight gun violence in an effort to take care of security and safety in our communities.”
“We all know the numerous hurt unlawful firearms can pose, in addition to the hurt felons can inflict after they receive these weapons. That’s why the forfeitures listed right here in the present day are so vital to maintaining our communities secure,” mentioned Brian Dugan, Particular Agent in Cost of the FBI Norfolk Subject Workplace. “The FBI and its companions will proceed to make use of all of the instruments at our disposal to struggle violent crime, together with by the discount of gun violence.”
“Day-after-day the FBI and our federal, state, and native companions work towards our shared objective of combating violent crime,” mentioned Wayne A. Jacobs, Particular Agent in Cost of the FBI Washington Subject Workplace’s Felony and Cyber Division. “As violent criminals proceed to threaten our communities, eradicating firearms from their arms helps us stop gun violence and guarantee our houses and neighborhoods are secure locations to reside and work.”
“I’m grateful for the laborious work of the DEA groups, EDVA’s litigative efforts, and our legislation enforcement companions, with whom we have been capable of execute dozens of arrests and seize unlawful firearms from violent drug trafficking organizations. With these actions, these unscrupulous offenders have been held accountable, making our communities safer from gun violence and drug trafficking,” talked about Jarod Neglect, DEA Washington Division’s Particular Agent in Cost.
“HSI Washington, D.C. stays dedicated to leveraging federal assets to assist dismantle firearms trafficking operations and maintaining unlawful weapons off our streets,” mentioned Appearing Particular Agent in Cost Derek W. Gordon of HSI Washington, D.C. “HSI is targeted on disrupting the illicit worldwide stream of firearms, firearms parts, and ammunition to the Unites States. HSI particular brokers examine people and legal organizations which might be liable for the financing, procurement, brokering, transportation, and dissemination of those parts in help of transnational legal organizations. Our intention is to allow legislation abiding residents to get pleasure from security and peace of their communities, whereas holding criminals, particularly those that search to make use of a firearm within the fee of a criminal offense, accountable for his or her actions.”
A few of the main firearms-related circumstances prosecuted by EDVA in 2022 are as follows:
Defendant |
Case # |
Conviction |
Sentencing information |
Patrick Tate Adamiak, 28, of Virginia Seashore |
2:22-cr-47 |
receiving, possessing, and transferring unregistered machineguns, and possession of 4 damaging units |
Sentencing March 21, 2023 Max sentence 10 years |
Tre’shawn Brooks, 22, of Richmond |
3:22-cr-110 |
straw buy conspiracy |
Sentenced December 16 to 12 months |
Babak Safavi, 59, of Fairfax County |
1:22-cr-76 |
felon in possession of a firearm |
Sentenced September 22 to 27 months |
Darren Walker, 34, of Suffolk |
2:21-cr-89 |
aiding and abetting the making of a materially false assertion through the buy of a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm |
Sentenced March 10 to 156 months |
Kevin Staton, Jr., 24, of Chesapeake |
2:21-cr-141 |
conspiracy to make false statements in reference to 45 firearm transactions |
Sentenced July 6 to 18 months |
Tyereis Smith, 19, and Jhaimeek Carter, 19, of Virginia Seashore |
2:21-cr-92 |
trafficking firearms |
Sentenced February 10 to 2 years
Sentenced January 26 to 30 Months |
Rakeim T. Richardson, 27, of Hanover Maryland |
1:21-cr-284 |
making false statements in an try to accumulate 11 firearms |
Sentenced March 2022 to fifteen months |
Jonathan C. Long, 39, of Hampton |
4:22-cr-37 |
drug conspiracy, possession of over 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of firearms by a convicted felon, and sustaining a drug premises |
Sentencing on April 24, 2023
Minimal penalty 35 years |
On July 22, 2021, the U.S. Division of Justice has launched 5 cross-jurisdictional strike forces to assist scale back gun violence by disrupting unlawful firearms trafficking in key areas throughout the nation. Leveraging present assets, the regional strike forces will higher guarantee sustained and centered coordination throughout jurisdictions and assist stem the provision of illegally trafficked firearms from supply cities, by different communities, and into 5 key market areas: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Space/Sacramento Area, and Washington, D.C. The strike power helps guarantee sustained and centered coordination between legislation enforcement and prosecutors within the Washington, D.C., metropolitan space, together with within the Jap District of Virginia, with their counterparts in areas the place lots of the firearms originate.
A replica of this press launch is situated on the web site of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Jap District of Virginia. Associated court docket paperwork and data are situated on the web site of the District Court for the Jap District of Virginia or on PACER.