NORFOLK, Va. - A previously convicted felon was sentenced today to seven years in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Earl Jerome Joyce, 34, of Norfolk, was stopped for speeding by Norfolk Police in December 2017. During the stop a detective observed marijuana in plain view and Joyce was arrested. Police searched the vehicle and the other passengers and located approximately $82,000 in cash in the possession of the two passengers. After Joyce was transported to the Norfolk Police station, police discovered a plastic bag containing approximately 14 grams of heroin on the floorboard where Joyce had been seated.
While NPD was conducting surveillance outside Joyce’s residence in Norfolk, they observed a man and woman arrive in separate vehicles and enter Joyce’s residence. The man later exited Joyce’s residence carrying a safe, which Norfolk Police later discovered contained three loaded pistols, two of which were stolen. The woman later admitted to leaving Joyce’s residence with a large money-counting machine and a digital scale with drug residue.
Joyce was previously convicted of felony distribution of heroin in Norfolk Circuit Court.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, and Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry Coke Morgan, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell prosecuted the case.
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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:18-cr-130.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
