NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - A Newport News man was sentenced today to seven years in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, Thomas Jarrell Mays, 30, was at home in Newport News when law enforcement executed a search warrant based on complaints of drug trafficking from the residence that were confirmed by police surveillance. In addition to the arrest of Mays, the search yielded a loaded Glock 22.40 caliber handgun with an additional high-capacity drum magazine loaded with 50 cartridges of ammunition; cooking paraphernalia coated with residue; multiple boxes of baking soda; narcotics packaging materials; multiple digital scales; approximately 5.8 grams of cocaine base; and more than 40 grams of cocaine that Mays unsuccessfully attempted to flush down a toilet when law enforcement entered his home.
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 Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Osyf 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. 4:19-cr-10.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
