Brandale Trayvon Cooper, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Virginia 2026

A Richmond man was sentenced to nine years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, on March 28, Richmond Police detained Brandale Trayvon Cooper, 36, on an active warrant for a felony probation violation.

At that time, Cooper was carrying a satchel containing a firearm, which Cooper claimed to have stolen from a group of teenagers a month earlier while he was in the area to obtain narcotics.

The firearm was loaded with a round in the chamber. In addition to the firearm, officers located methamphetamine in Cooper's pocket.

At the time of his arrest, Cooper previously had been convicted for, among other crimes, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute near a school, distribution of a schedule I or II controlled substance as an accommodation, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

As a previously convicted felon, Cooper cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

Cooper is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division and the Richmond Police Department.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/richmond-man-sentenced-nine-years-prison-illegally-possessing-firearm