A Richmond man, Desmond Mikal Hawkins, 31, has been sentenced to four years and six months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The sentencing took place after Hawkins was found with a loaded handgun less than a month after his release from prison.
According to court documents, on August 10, 2024, law enforcement officers observed Hawkins walking in the Shockoe Bottom neighborhood of Richmond. Officers believed he was carrying a concealed firearm and approached him to ask if he had a concealed carry permit. Hawkins told officers that he did have a permit but did not have it with him. Officers detained him and found a loaded handgun under his shirt in his waistband.
Hawkins has prior felony convictions, including one in 2023 for being a felon in possession of a firearm. At the time of this latest offense, he was on federal supervised release and legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The announcement about the sentencing was made by Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police. U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck presided over the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen H. Theisen prosecuted the case.
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).”
Additional information can be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia or by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-5 on PACER.