Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Henrico man yesterday on charges of making a false statement when acquiring a firearm and was also convicted of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in January 2018, Richmond Police and Virginia State Police confronted Jawuan House, 22, on suspicion that one of his associates stole a firearm from a vendor table at a gun show in Richmond. When VSP and RPD made contact with House, they found him in the company of Yamin Maxey. Law enforcement ultimately followed House to his vehicle in the parking lot in order to try and gain information to find the person that stole the firearm.

In the course of speaking with House and Maxey, law enforcement learned from Maxey that he had straw purchased two firearms for House at the gun show. House also purchased a third firearm, an AK pistol, at the gun show. When law enforcement searched House’s vehicle for those firearms, they found, in total, five firearms. Three of which were purchased from the gun show, including the straw-purchased firearms, and two of which were previously purchased and which belonged to House and Brian Samuels, who was sentenced to five years in prison on June 24. Law enforcement also found in the trunk of the vehicle 40 grams of marijuana in two mason jars and a digital scale. House stated he and friends were using the marijuana at a party.

House faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for his conviction on making a false statement in acquiring a firearm and possession with the intent to distribute marijuana when sentenced on November 12. 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, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, William C. Smith, Interim Chief of Richmond Police, and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr., accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Anthony and Janet Jin Ah Lee 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 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-46.

###