Petersburg Meth, Heroin Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years and 6 Months

A Petersburg man has been sentenced to 10 years and 6 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.

RICHMOND, Va. – Richard Arthur Jones, 37, of Petersburg, was sentenced on February 16, 2023 for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.

According to court documents, from September 9, 2022, to February 8, 2023, the Virginia State Police 1B Task Force conducted five controlled purchases of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine from Jones. The last three of these transactions occurred at Jones’ apartment.

On February 16, 2023, as the task force executed a search warrant on the apartment, Jones attempted to throw a plastic bag from his balcony. The bag became stuck in a tree, however, and was recovered by law enforcement. The bag contained a total of approximately 306.14 grams of meth and approximately 95.56 grams of heroin.

From inside the apartment, law enforcement recovered approximately 32.5 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl and approximately 21.14 grams of methamphetamine, as well as a .40 caliber handgun in a Gucci cross-body bag. Jones pleaded guilty on January 4, 2023.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Virginia State Police 1B Task Force, the Petersburg Bureau of Police, and the Chesterfield County Police. U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber, Attorney General Jason Miyares, and other law enforcement officials made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon E. Schulz, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.

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