Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
ROANOKE, Va. – A federal jury sitting in Roanoke convicted a man from South Boston, Virginia, yesterday of federal drug and gun charges.
Following a two-day trial, the jury found Richard Elijah Jacobs, 27, guilty of possessing cocaine and marijuana with intent to distribute it, possessing machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possessing firearms as a convicted felon.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on February 3, 2024, police received a report that two men brandished guns from a newer white Jaguar in downtown South Boston. An officer saw the Jaguar park in a shopping center, and he approached as Jacobs exited the driver’s side of the car. Meanwhile, the passenger, James Alexander Hiett, evaded the officer and quickly walked away. Hiett was later identified by store surveillance cameras.
Other officers arrived on scene and spotted a gun protruding from the backseat of the car, prompting them to search it. Ultimately, officers found three loaded guns: a Glock 21 pistol with a 40-round drum magazine beneath the driver’s floormat; a Radical Firearms RF-15 pistol behind the driver’s seat; and a Glock 19 pistol under the passenger seat. The Glock 21 and RF-15 pistols were equipped with machinegun conversion devices that allowed for fully automatic fire.
Inside the Jaguar’s trunk, officers also found thousands of dollars’ worth of cocaine powder, cocaine base, and marijuana, as well as paraphernalia for packaging and selling the drugs.
Hiett previously pled guilty to related charges and was sentenced to 33 months in prison.
Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The South Boston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Halifax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Drew Inman and Kelly McGann prosecuted the case for the United States.