Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A Newport News man was sentenced today to 10 years and one day in prison for shooting another man in broad daylight while robbing his victim of approximately 6.5 ounces of marijuana.

According to court documents, Brycen Scott Beal, 19, arranged a meeting to purchase a small amount of marijuana from D.M. When D.M. arrived at the agreed location in the residential parking lot of the Patriots Crossing Apartment Complex in Newport News, at midday on Feb. 21, 2023, Beal did not purchase any marijuana. Instead, Beal reached into the vehicle D.M. was driving and grabbed a backpack containing approximately 6.5 ounces of marijuana. As Beal ran off, he fired three gunshots at D.M. using a Glock 23 .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun. Two of Beal’s shots penetrated the windshield and one hit D.M. in the leg, seriously injuring him.

D.M. drove off and reported the incident. Medical services were deployed to aid D.M., and the Newport News Police (NNPD) reported to the scene. Through the course of the investigation, NNPD confirmed Beal was the shooter with security camera footage of the apartment complex that captured the incident, as well as forensically matching the firearm seized from Beal’s residence, pursuant to a lawful search warrant, with the three shell casings recovered from the scene.

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 (ATF), Washington Field Division; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter G. Osyf and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Levey-Weinstein prosecuted the case.

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