Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possession of a Firearm
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to seven years in prison for his possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and while under a term of federal supervised release during a traffic stop in Henrico County.
According to court documents, Jabali Dickerson, 27, was in a vehicle with two other people that was stopped by Henrico County police officers in December 2018. Upon speaking with the driver, the officer smelled marijuana emanating from the vehicle and noticed at the feet of Dickerson, in the back seat, a backpack. A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded Glock, model 30, .45 caliber, semi-automatic pistol, in the backpack and a check stub with Dickerson’s name. A search of Dickerson’s pants pocket revealed the check linked to the check stub found in the backpack. It was later confirmed that Dickerson was a convicted felon and on a term of federal supervised release at the time of his arrest.
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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Humberto I. Cardounel, Jr., Chief of Henrico County Police Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert 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. 3:19-cr-43.
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