NEWPORT NEWS, VA – A brazen daylight robbery turned violent last February, and now 19-year-old Brycen Scott Beal is facing a decade behind bars. Beal was sentenced today to 10 years and one day in prison for shooting a man during a marijuana deal gone wrong in the Patriots Crossing Apartment Complex. The incident left the victim seriously wounded.
According to court documents, Beal arranged to meet D.M. to purchase a small amount of marijuana on February 21, 2023. When D.M. arrived at the agreed-upon location, Beal didn’t offer payment. Instead, he snatched a backpack containing approximately 6.5 ounces of marijuana from the victim’s vehicle. As Beal fled the scene, he opened fire with a Glock 23 .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun.
Two of the three shots Beal fired pierced the windshield of D.M.’s car, with one bullet striking him in the leg, causing serious injury. D.M., despite being shot, managed to drive away and report the attack. First responders provided medical attention, and the Newport News Police Department (NNPD) swiftly launched an investigation.
NNPD investigators quickly zeroed in on Beal. Security camera footage from the apartment complex clearly captured the incident. A subsequent search of Beal’s residence, conducted under a lawful warrant, yielded the Glock 23 used in the shooting. Forensic analysis confirmed that the firearm matched the shell casings recovered at the scene, solidifying the case against him.
“This sentence reflects the seriousness of Beal’s actions,” stated Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, in a press release. Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, and Newport News Police Chief Steve R. Drew also announced the sentencing, highlighting the collaborative effort in bringing Beal to justice. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter G. Osyf and Alyssa Levey-Weinstein.
The 10-year sentence handed down by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson underscores the federal government’s commitment to prosecuting violent crime, even those stemming from illicit activities like marijuana transactions. Beal’s attempt to score a free 6.5 ounces of weed cost him a decade of his life and left another man with a serious injury – a harsh lesson in the consequences of gun violence and robbery.
Related Federal Cases
- Marvin O’Neal Carter, Sr., Cocaine Trafficking, Newport News VA, 2023 · Virginia
- Brett Maurice Disiere, Bank Robbery, Beaumont TX, 2013 · Alabama
- Larry Pyos Jr., Armed Robbery Conviction, VA, 2017 · Virginia
- Joshua Robert Berry, Armed Robbery Murder, VA 2024 · New York
- Bernando Eugene Ford, Jr., Robbery and Murder, VA 2016 · Virginia
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime|Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Press Release
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