Shadonta Lateef Beane, Gun Possession, Virginia 2024

RICHMOND, Va. – In a shocking turn of events, a Lancaster man was sentenced to nearly a decade in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

Shadonta Lateef Beane, 26, was handed down a 9.5-year prison sentence by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak for his crime, which was committed on an unspecified date.

According to court documents, Beane was found guilty of possessing a Romarm/Cugir Mini Draco pistol, having a 30-round magazine and 22 rounds of ammunition, and possessing a stolen Taurus .40 caliber handgun with 10 rounds of ammunition, after having been convicted of a felony.

Beane’s guilty plea on February 23 marked the beginning of the end for the Merry Point Boys gang member, who was previously charged with and convicted of possessing a firearm at the Raceway Gas Station in Tappahannock, Virginia on October 31, 2020.

The Merry Point Boys, a street gang operating in the Northern Neck area, have been recognized by the Virginia Department of Corrections as a gang.

The case against Beane was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Mastandrea-Miller, with significant assistance provided by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and FBI Fredericksburg Field Office.

The guilty verdict and subsequent sentencing serves as a reminder of the severity of gun crimes in Virginia and the consequences that come with them.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI’s Richmond Field Office, and Virginia State Police all played a crucial role in bringing Beane to justice.

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