Norfolk Dealer Packed Heat, Drugs

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NORFOLK, VA – James Edward Sweat, 40, is looking at serious time after a federal jury found him guilty of running a drug operation out of his Norfolk home and illegally packing firearms. The conviction came yesterday after a trial detailing a raid that uncovered a stash of narcotics and weapons.

On December 18th, 2025, federal agents descended on Sweat’s residence. They didn’t find Christmas cheer. Instead, they found two guns – a shotgun and handgun – along with six magazines, including a high-capacity 100-round drum. The search also yielded three complete kits for manufacturing drugs, 14.3 grams of crack cocaine, fentanyl already bagged for street sales, and nine different types of ammunition.

Sweat wasn’t exactly a first-timer. Court records show he’d already been convicted of abduction, two counts of robbery, and two counts of using a firearm while committing a felony. That meant he wasn’t legally allowed to possess *any* firearms or ammunition, period.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 14th. Sweat faces a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison, but the judge could hand down a life sentence. The case was investigated by the ATF’s Washington Field Division, with help from both the Chesapeake and Norfolk Police Departments.

This case is being pitched as part of “Operation Take Back America,” a broad federal push to crack down on cartels and what officials are calling an “invasion of illegal immigration.”