Chesapeake man who was arrested with drugs and firearm while in a car with children is sentenced to federal prison

NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced today to six years in prison after being caught with heroin and fentanyl as well as a firearm.

According to court documents, from November 2022 through June 2023, Travis Morris, aka Black, 39, distributed fentanyl and heroin in Chesapeake. On multiple occasions from Dec. 12, 2022, to June 20, 2023, Morris sold a mixture of heroin and fentanyl to a confidential informant.

On June 23, 2023, Chesapeake Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Morris was a passenger. Officers conducted a K9 sweep of the vehicle, followed by a search of both the vehicle and Morris. Officers recovered 120 white capsules containing a heroin/fentanyl mixture, digital scales, a .22 caliber pistol, two cellular telephones, and $3,993.88 in cash. The other passengers in the vehicle were Morris’ girlfriend and her three minor children.

The total converted weight of the controlled substances recovered by law enforcement during the investigation is 26 kilograms. On Feb. 1, Morris pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin and possessing a firearm in furtherance of and during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police; and Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Miller, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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. 2:23-cr-131.