Henrico Man Sentenced for Gun and Drug Crimes
RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico man was sentenced today to over twelve months in prison for making false statements when acquiring firearms and possession with the intent to distribute marijuana.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in January 2018, the Richmond Police Department (RPD) and Virginia State Police (VSP) confronted Jawuan House, 22, on suspicion that one of his associates stole a firearm from a vendor table at a gun show in Richmond. When VSP and RPD made contact with House, they found him in the company of Yamin Maxey. Law enforcement ultimately followed House to his vehicle in the parking lot in order to gain information to find the person who stole the firearm.
In the course of speaking with House and Maxey, law enforcement learned from Maxey that he had straw purchased two firearms for House at the gun show. House also purchased a third firearm, an AK pistol, at the gun show. When law enforcement searched House’s vehicle for those firearms, they found, in total, five firearms. Three of the firearms were purchased from the gun show, including the straw-purchased firearms, and two were previously purchased and belonged to House and an associate, Brian Samuels. Law enforcement also found in the trunk of the vehicle 40 grams of marijuana in two mason jars and a digital scale. House stated that he and his friends were using the marijuana at a party.
House’s case was related to a larger investigation into Brian Samuels, 21, and other members of the Black Disciples Gang in Henrico. According to court documents, Samuels sold 39 firearms to an undercover agent over the course of approximately four months in 2018. These firearms included multiple AK pistols, AR pistols, extended magazines with 30–60 round capacities, and stolen firearms. In February 2019, ATF and other assisting law enforcement agencies executed a search warrant at Samuels’s home and located an additional 14 firearms, bringing the total to 53. Samuels forfeited all 53 firearms to the United States and was sentenced to five years in prison on June 24.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, William C. Smith, Chief of Richmond Police, and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Anthony and Janet Jin Ah Lee prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-46.
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