Virginia's Eastern District announced hundreds of illegal firearm forfeitures over the past year.
The district court forfeited at least 164 illegally owned, possessed, used or obtained firearms and prosecuted 250 Illegal firearms offenders last year, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release issued Dec. 19, 2022.
"Removing illegal firearms from the hands of felons and other prohibited people is a significant tactic in our office's efforts to reduce gun violence and keep our communities safe," U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber said in the news release. "If not taken out of circulation, the same weapon can be passed along and used in multiple crimes by many people. The forfeiture of these illegal firearms ensures they will not be used in the future against our law enforcement partners or community members."
Firearms criminally forfeited in Virginia's Eastern district are removed from the defendants convicted in the cases and those weapons are relinquished for disposal, which can include potential return of the firearm's rightful owner, according to the news release.
Federal firearms offenses in last year's cases included possession a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and straw purchase of a firearm, the release reported.
Last year's prosecutions and forfeitures resulted from close cooperation with prosecutors and their partners in federal and local law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Homeland Security Investigations, according to the release. The Eastern District in particular partners with the Virginia State Police and local police and sheriffs in the state.
Other programs included in last year's prosecutions included Project Safe Neighborhoods and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, the release reported. Project Safe Neighborhoods works to identify pressing violent crime problems and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces strives to identify, disrupt and dismantle serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations that are primarily responsible for the nation's illegal drug supply.
