A Richmond man was sentenced on July 21 to one year and three months in prison for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. According to court documents, Richmond Police observed several individuals loitering around a vacant unit in the Southwood Apartment Complex in Richmond on July 10, 2025. Among them was Atio Terrain Walton, age 23. Officers, who were familiar with Walton, searched him and found a knotted baggie containing over five grams of cocaine base hidden in his underwear. They also located a handgun on a chair inside the apartment and recognized it as the same firearm Walton had posted about on Instagram.
One month prior to this incident, on June 10, 2025, Walton was convicted of possessing seven grams of cocaine and a concealed firearm with an extended magazine at the same apartment complex. At the time of his latest offense, he was under supervised release for that conviction. As a previously convicted felon, Walton is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Richmond Field Office and the Richmond Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine E. Groover and Stephen E. Anthony prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, described as a nationwide initiative utilizing resources from the Department of Justice to address illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime.
Related court documents can be found through the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or PACER by searching Case No. 3:25-cr-155.