Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Possession of Firearms and Ammunition
NORFOLK, Va. – An Isle of Wight man was sentenced today to 81 months in prison for being a convicted felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
According to court documents, on June 27, 2018, Ronald Devon Matthews, 36, was convicted of carrying a firearm without a license, a felony, in Pennsylvania. On Dec. 7, 2021, Matthews was arrested after law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence in Carrsville. During the search, deputies discovered a 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun and ammunition under a sofa in the den of the residence. Law enforcement also discovered two 9mm pistols, magazines, ammunition, and a bulletproof vest in a gun safe in Matthews’ bedroom.
From jail, Matthews made phone calls instructing an accomplice to clean out his storage unit in Franklin. The following day, deputies executed a search warrant on Matthews’ storage unit and discovered four rifles, four pistols, one shotgun, over 2,000 rounds of ammunition, 2.2 kilograms of marijuana, and a digital scale bearing methamphetamine residue. Two of the firearms were affixed with devices subsequently determined to be illegal “firearm silencers” or “firearm mufflers” by the ATF Firearms Technology Branch.
Matthews was sentenced to 81 months in prison with 3 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit 14 firearms and over 2,000 rounds of ammunition.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Darrell Logwood, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police; and Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Significant assistance was provided by the Isle of Wight Sherriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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. 2:22-cr-110.