NEWPORT NEWS, VA – A brazen daylight shooting in a Newport News neighborhood landed 33-year-old Jimmy Lee Scott over eight years in federal prison. Scott was sentenced today on two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, a charge stemming from a November 2023 incident that rattled residents and left multiple vehicles damaged.
According to court documents, the Newport News Police Department (NNPD) responded to reports of a man waving a gun on November 5th. Upon arrival, officers found Scott actively firing a handgun, creating a chaotic scene. He didn’t stick around to explain himself, fleeing the scene before being apprehended in a neighbor’s backyard after a short foot chase. The damage wasn’t limited to fear; multiple vehicles bore the marks of Scott’s reckless gunfire.
But the shooting wasn’t an isolated incident. A search of Scott’s residence revealed a disturbing stockpile: six firearms, including one confirmed as stolen. Ballistics evidence directly linked one of those guns to the shooting, matching the twenty casings found at the scene. This wasn’t Scott’s first brush with the law, and certainly not his first with firearms. His extensive criminal history includes prior convictions for disorderly conduct, driving on a suspended license (twice), carrying a concealed weapon (twice), trespassing, and multiple drug offenses, including possession with intent to distribute marijuana and, crucially, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Given his lengthy rap sheet, Scott was already legally prohibited from owning firearms or ammunition. The sentencing, handed down by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen, reflects the seriousness of his repeated disregard for the law. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Erik S. Siebert, alongside ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony A. Spotswood, and Newport News Police Chief Steve R. Drew, announced the conviction, signaling a coordinated effort to combat gun violence in the region. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter G. Osyf spearheaded the prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through collaboration between law enforcement and communities. The Department of Justice launched a strengthened PSN strategy in 2021, emphasizing trust-building, community support, strategic enforcement, and measurable results. The goal? To make neighborhoods like the one impacted by Scott’s actions safer for everyone.
Details of the sentencing and related court documents can be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia website and through the District Court’s online portal or PACER, under Case No. 4:24-cr-21. Scott’s eight years and one month behind bars serves as a stark warning: illegally possessing firearms, especially with a history like his, will carry severe consequences.
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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