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NORFOLK, VA – James Edward Sweat, 40, is lookin’ at serious time after a federal jury slammed him with convictions on drug and gun charges yesterday. The bust went down December 18th, 2025, at his Norfolk home, and the feds found a whole arsenal – a shotgun, a handgun, six magazines, including a high-capacity 100-round drum.
But it wasn’t just hardware. Agents also uncovered three makeshift drug labs, 14.3 grams of crack cocaine ready to hit the streets, and fentanyl pre-packaged for sale. Nine different types of ammunition were also seized.
Sweat’s record is already lengthy: prior convictions for abduction, two counts of robbery, and twice being busted for using a firearm during a felony. That history made the gun possession charge stick, because a convicted felon isn’t allowed to have firearms.
He’s facing a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, but could get life. Sentencing is scheduled for July 14th. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation, with help from cops in Chesapeake and Norfolk.
The Feds are tying this case into “Operation Take Back America,” a broad-stroke initiative targeting cartels and violent crime. Expect more busts like this as the DOJ pushes the program.
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