Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Norfolk man today on charges of robbery and brandishing a firearm during a robbery.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Desmond Littlejohn, 33, and his co-conspirator robbed a firearm and ammunition dealer in Virginia Beach. On Oct. 9, 2017, the owner and an employee had returned around 3:30 a.m. from a gun show in Philadelphia. As they were unloading a truck, Littlejohn and his co-conspirator, wearing ski masks, ran up to the owner and employee brandishing firearms. The robbers took a black duffle bag which contained approximately $10,000 in proceeds from the gun show. As the robbers were fleeing in a car, they tossed items out of the black duffle bag and onto the street in an effort to get at the cash. The Virginia Beach Police discovered the discarded items which also included a cash bag next to a ski mask. Through analysis of the ski mask law enforcement was able to trace the mask back to Littlejohn.

Littlejohn faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 7 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison when sentenced on May 14. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William D. Muhr and William B. Jackson 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:18-cr-119.

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