A Richmond resident, Montrio Santos Neville, was found guilty by a federal jury on charges of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The verdict was delivered in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Court documents show that law enforcement officers were searching for an individual wanted in Chesterfield County on October 9, 2024. When they located the person in Gilpin Court, Richmond, Montrio Santos Neville, 40, was with them. Both individuals were detained. During a search, police found Neville in possession of a firearm and 6.8750 grams of methamphetamine powder as well as multiple tablets containing methamphetamine.
As stated in court proceedings, Neville had prior felony convictions and is prohibited from owning firearms or ammunition under federal law.
Neville could receive up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on April 8, 2026. Sentences for federal crimes are usually less than the maximum allowed by law. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory considerations.
Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, announced the conviction after Judge David J. Novak accepted the jury's decision.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Groover is leading the prosecution.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America—a Department of Justice initiative designed to address violent crime by bringing together resources from various programs including Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
More details about this case can be found at the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia or through public records on PACER by searching Case No. 3:24-cr-183.
