Richmond felon pleads guilty after being caught illegally possessing a firearm

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, on Feb. 13, two Richmond Police officers were approaching the 25th Street Market when they noticed three individuals, one of whom was later identified as Chavelle Lamar Lewis, 35, walking toward the market. Officers saw the men take note of them before entering the store. The officers parked and walked into the store to speak with the clerks. One of the officers noticed that Lewis appeared to have a bulge in his clothing and was walking with a slight limp.

Lewis walked out of the store without any items, and without his two friends. As Lewis was walking across the street, one of the officers recognized him from a prior traffic crash. The officer caught up with Lewis and asked how he was doing, if he remembered the officer, and whether his leg was okay, since Lewis was walking with a limp. Lewis stopped walking and engaged in conversation with the officer, saying that his leg was okay. The officer asked Lewis if he had a gun, and Lewis said “no." The officer then asked Lewis if he had a concealed permit for the gun in his pocket, and Lewis again said “no." When the officer asked Lewis what kind of firearm it was, Lewis fled.

The officer pursued until Lewis surrendered. As the officers detained Lewis, he admitted that he had a 9mm firearm in his right pocket. The officers removed and secured the firearm. Lewis has prior felony convictions, including a 2009 conviction for robbery and use or display of a firearm in commission of a felony. As a previously convicted felon, Lewis cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.

Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 3 and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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; Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police; and Colette Wallace McEachin, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted the plea.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Groover, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven E. Anthony are prosecuting 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. 3:24-cr-55.