A joint investigation involving Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, the ATF, the Virginia State Police and the Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office led to an 81-month prison sentence for Ronald Devon Matthews, 36, of Isle of Wight, Virginia. The court convicted Matthews, a previously convicted felon, of possessing multiple firearms and ammunition; he was sentenced on Feb. 24.

According to the investigation, Matthews had a June 2018 felony conviction in Pennsylvania for carrying a firearm without a license.

During a December 2021 search of Matthews’ home, investigators discovered a 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun and ammunition under a sofa. They also discovered two 9 mm pistols, magazines, ammunition and a bulletproof vest in a gun safe in his bedroom.

“Ronald Devon Matthews was a felon in possession of an arsenal,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of HSI Washington, D.C.. “The amount of damage he could have caused with that quantity of firepower is staggering. Working with our law enforcement partners, HSI made the Norfolk area safer by removing Mr. Matthews and his overabundance of weapons from the streets.”

The investigation further revealed that while incarcerated, Matthews made phone calls instructing an accomplice to clean out his storage unit. The following day, investigators executed a search warrant on the unit and discovered four rifles, four pistols, one shotgun, over 2,000 rounds of ammunition, 2.2 kilograms of marijuana and a digital scale bearing methamphetamine residue. The ATF Firearms Technology Branch determined that wo of the firearms were affixed with devices known as silencers or mufflers, which are illegal.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, various 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.

HSI encourages members of the public to report crimes or suspicious activity by calling the HSI tip line at 866-347-2423. The tip line is manned 24 hours a day.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 6,800 special agents assigned to 225 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

Original source can be found here