Petersburg drug dealer sentenced for meth, heroin distribution

RICHMOND, Va. – A Petersburg man was sentenced today to 10 years and six months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.

According to court documents, from Sept. 9, 2022, to Feb. 8, 2023, the Virginia State Police 1B Task Force conducted five controlled purchases of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine from Richard Arthur Jones, 37. The last three of these transactions occurred at Jones’ apartment.

On Feb. 16, 2023, as the task force executed a search warrant on the apartment, Jones attempted to throw a plastic bag from his balcony. The bag became stuck in a tree, however, and was recovered by law enforcement. The bag contained a total of approximately 306.14 grams of meth and approximately 95.56 grams of heroin. From inside the apartment, law enforcement recovered approximately 32.5 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl and approximately 21.14 grams of methamphetamine, as well as a .40 caliber handgun in a Gucci cross-body bag.

Jones pleaded guilty on Jan. 4.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Travis C. Christian, Chief of Petersburg Bureau of Police; and Lt. Col. Brad J. Badgerow, Acting Chief of Chesterfield County Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon E. Schulz, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, 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. 3:23-cr-143.

This release was edited on May 29, 2024, to recognize the work of the Petersburg Bureau of Police on this case.