Hampton Man Charged with Cocaine Trafficking
In a shocking turn of events, Erick Allen Osby, 29, of Hampton, Virginia, has pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking and illegally possessing firearms. The incident occurred on January 15, 2024, when an officer with the Newport News Police Department observed Osby showing a firearm to another individual in a parking lot on Warwick Boulevard.
According to court documents, Osby then walked back to his vehicle and placed the firearm on the front passenger seat before walking across Warwick. The officer confirmed that the firearm was in the vehicle and notified uniformed officers, who were on the other side of Warwick for an unrelated matter.
During the observation, officers noticed a partially concealed handgun in Osby’s pants pocket. An officer approached Osby, but before contact could be made, Osby ran back across Warwick toward his vehicle. During the short foot pursuit, Osby threw a cellphone and a loaded .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun into the median before being apprehended.
Investigators recovered a 9mm semiautomatic handgun from the vehicle, as well as a shotgun cartridge, two digital scales, and assorted drug paraphernalia. They also recovered 20.72 grams of cocaine from Osby’s pocket. As a previously convicted felon, Osby cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Osby pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 13, 2025, and faces up to 20 years in prison for the drug charge and a consecutive sentence of a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison for the firearm charge.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Osby’s actions demonstrate a clear disregard for the law and a willingness to engage in violent behavior. The outcome of this case sends a strong message that such behavior will not be tolerated in our community.
Mandatory Facts:
Defendant: Erick Allen Osby
Charges: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
City and State: Hampton, Virginia
Exact Date: January 15, 2024 (arrest date)
Sentence or Outcome: Scheduled to be sentenced on February 13, 2025, facing up to 20 years in prison for the drug charge and a consecutive sentence of a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison for the firearm charge
Related Federal Cases
- Dustin L. White, Methamphetamine Trafficking, West Virginia 2020 · Washington
- Cordale Antonio Williams, Drug Trafficking, West Virginia 2020 · Virginia
- Matthew Scott Upton, Drug Trafficking and Firearms, West Virginia 2020 · Massachusetts
- Lemonte Green, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, West Virginia 2020 · Massachusetts
- Zjaondezel Solomyn Douglas, Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Cocaine Base, West Virginia 2021 · Pennsylvania
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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