Source: Office of United States Attorneys
RICHMOND, Va. – A Midlothian man pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on Oct. 22, 2022, Chesterfield County Police officers were looking for a stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee, which they located on Branchs Woods Lane in Chesterfield County. Officers observed Matthew Chambliss Coleman, 42, jump out of the front passenger seat and run through the front and then back yard of a nearby home. As Coleman was running through the back yard, he threw a loaded .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, which officers later recovered. Coleman attempted to hide in another yard, but aerial surveillance guided officers to his location and Coleman was arrested.
Coleman was previously convicted of distribution and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. As a convicted felon, Coleman cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Coleman is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 10 and faces up to 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Lt. Col. Brad Badgerow, Acting Chief of Chesterfield County Police, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark R. Colombell accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller is prosecuting the case. Former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon E. Schulz, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, assisted in the prosecution of this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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. 3:23-cr-134.