Richmond Felon Gets 2.5 Years for Illegal Gun Possession

Richmond Felon Gets 2.5 Years for Illegal Gun Possession

A Richmond man is heading to prison for breaking the law he’s already been convicted of violating. Walter Lavelle Allen, 25, was sentenced to two years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, Richmond Police observed Allen displaying a firearm in an Instagram story that he posted at around 8:00 p.m. on Aug. 3, 2023. At around 11:30 p.m., a Richmond Police officer on foot patrol on North 25th Street found Allen asleep in the passenger seat of a parked vehicle, with the firearm, a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol, under Allen’s leg. The officer secured the firearm and detained Allen.

Allen’s history of violating the law is long. He was convicted for possession with intent to distribute cocaine on June 23, 2020. As a previously convicted felon, Allen cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.

U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck handed down the sentence, which was announced by Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Hubbard, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman prosecuted the case.

The sentence is a reminder that breaking the law will catch up to you, even if it takes a few years. Allen’s case is a stark example of the consequences of violating the law, particularly for those who have been convicted of a crime before.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-121.