A Richmond man has been sentenced to four years and six months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm less than a month after his release from prison.
According to court documents, on August 10, 2024, law enforcement officers saw Desmond Mikal Hawkins, 31, walking in the Shockoe Bottom neighborhood of Richmond. Officers noticed what appeared to be a concealed firearm. When they approached Hawkins and asked if he had a concealed carry permit, he falsely stated that he did but did not have it with him. Officers detained Hawkins and found a loaded handgun under his shirt in his waistband.
Hawkins is a previously convicted felon. His most recent conviction was in 2023 for being a felon in possession of a firearm. At the time of this latest offense, Hawkins had been released from prison less than a month earlier and was on federal supervised release. As someone with prior felony convictions, Hawkins is prohibited by law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
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, announced the sentencing after it was handed down by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.
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).”
Further information about this case can be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia or through PACER by searching Case No. 3:25-cr-5.
