Brandon Locke Convicted of Gun, Drug Crimes in Virginia

Brandon Locke, 27, of Stafford, Virginia, was convicted by a federal jury late yesterday on charges of illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted domestic batterer and possessing marijuana with intent to distribute.

The verdict, delivered in Alexandria, Virginia, stems from a May 2017 investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Agents discovered Locke had purchased a Ruger pistol two months prior—despite being legally barred from owning a firearm due to two prior misdemeanor domestic violence convictions.

Court records show Locke was first convicted of domestic violence in Georgia in 2011, and again in Virginia in early 2017. Federal law explicitly prohibits anyone with such a record from possessing firearms. When agents executed a search warrant at Locke’s home, they found the Ruger pistol in his possession, along with marijuana and evidence indicating he was dealing the drug.

Locke now faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. While federal sentences often fall below the statutory maximum, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III will weigh the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors at sentencing, scheduled for May 25.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Urban and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maya D. Song. The announcement was made by Tracy Doherty-McCormick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division.

Documents related to the case, filed under Case No. 1:17-cr-210, are available through the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or via PACER. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has also published a copy of the official press release on its website.

RELATED: Brandon Tavarious Purdy Pleads Guilty to Felony Firearm Possession