20-Year-Old Roanoke Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Charge

Roanoke, VIRGINIA – A Roanoke man, who fled from police following a traffic stop for an expired registration tag, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Roanoke to a federal drug charge. United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle, Tom Chittum Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington, D.C. Field Division, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Jeffrey Taylor from the FBI’s Roanoke Field Office and Resident Agent in Charge Jeffrey Wanner of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Roanoke Field Office made the announcement.

Michael Antonio David II, 20, pleaded guilty today to one count of possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine. As part of his plea agreement, the defendant agreed to a term of incarceration of 60 months in federal prison to run concurrent to the 18-month state sentence he is currently serving.

The case against David began on July 8, 2016 when an officer with the Roanoke City Police Department and a trooper with the Virginia State Police initiated a traffic stop for expired registration on the vehicle the defendant was driving. David stopped the car and fled on foot. As he ran, the officers observed the defendant reaching into his waistband.

After pursuing David for several blocks, officers stopped and arrested the defendant. During a search of the defendant, officers discovered a plastic bag containing crack cocaine. In a second plastic bag located in David’s gym shorts, which were under his pants, officers located 14 silver ammunition rounds.

A subsequent search of the area in which the foot pursuit took place was conducted and officers used a K-9 to assist. A semi-automatic, KAHR .40 handgun was located in the vicinity where the defendant had been running. David admitted to throwing the gun from his waistband while running from police.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Roanoke City Police Department, the Virginia State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Roanoke City Police Department. United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle and Assistant United States Attorney Ashley B. Neese are prosecuting the case for the United States.