Richmond Recidivist Baskerville Faces 15 Years for Gun Possession

RICHMOND, VA – Tajon Rasheed Baskerville, 35, of Richmond, is facing a potential 15-year prison sentence after a federal jury found him guilty yesterday of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The conviction adds another chapter to Baskerville’s lengthy rap sheet, solidifying his status as a repeat offender with a blatant disregard for the law.

The incident unfolded on February 23rd when Henrico County Police officers spotted Baskerville rifling through a purse stolen from a nearby vehicle. A routine pat-down quickly escalated into a struggle. Officers felt a firearm concealed in a holster on Baskerville’s hip. He reacted violently, striking an officer and causing them to fall. In a brazen display, Baskerville then drew the weapon, prompting the officer to draw their service firearm in response.

Baskerville ultimately tossed the gun and attempted a clumsy foot pursuit, but officers quickly apprehended him and recovered the discarded firearm. A search revealed stolen items from the purse stuffed in Baskerville’s pockets, and the purse itself was found hidden in his shirt. It wasn’t just a gun charge; Baskerville was actively concealing evidence of another crime – a theft – while resisting law enforcement.

This wasn’t Baskerville’s first brush with the law, not by a long shot. Court records paint a picture of a habitual criminal with prior convictions dating back to 2010. He’s previously been convicted of possession of a Schedule I or II controlled substance (2010 & 2012), multiple felony probation violations (2012, 2014, and twice in 2017), grand larceny (2015 & 2018), and, disturbingly, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2022. Despite prior convictions barring him from owning firearms, Baskerville was again caught illegally armed.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, led by Erik S. Siebert, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Henrico County Police Division, jointly announced the verdict following the decision by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick J. McGorman and Stephen E. Anthony successfully prosecuted the case. The sentencing is scheduled for December 17th. While the maximum penalty is 15 years, federal sentences often fall below the statutory maximum.

This case is part of “Operation Take Back America,” a sweeping federal initiative targeting illegal immigration, cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and violent crime. It leverages resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The full press release is available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Eastern District of Virginia, and related court documents can be found on the District Court website or through PACER (Case No. 3:25-cr-79).