RICHMOND, Va. - A Goochland man was sentenced today to more than 15 years in prison for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.
According to court documents, Richmond Police officers executed a traffic stop on Markenon Blakely, 40, in February 2018. Video camera footage showed that the officers were concerned when they saw Blakely dip forward in his seat and then sit back up as they approached his vehicle. For their safety, the officers directed Blakely to exit his vehicle, but he steadfastly refused. After politely speaking to Blakely for several minutes, during which they explained why they needed Blakely to step out of his car, Blakely still refused to exit the vehicle. The officers finally physically removed him from the car. In subsequently patting Blakely down for their safety, the officers discovered a loaded Glock.45 caliber pistol in Blakely’s waist area. They then found over $1,000 in Blakely’s left front pocket and nearly a half of a gram of marijuana in his right front pocket.
In a subsequent search of Blakely’s vehicle, the officers recovered 14.62 grams of cocaine hydrochloride and 2.33 grams of crack. They also found a second magazine for the Glock handgun, with ammunition in it. In pleading guilty in January 2019, Blakely admitted he possessed the drugs with the intent to distribute them and that the money was the proceeds of the unlawful distribution of controlled substances.
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, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller 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 are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:18-cr-126.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
