RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to four years and four months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.According to court documents, on Sept. 18, 2024, Henrico County Police officers found Rashon Lamar Lofton, 40, passed out in the driver seat of a vehicle with the engine running at a fuel pump of a convenient store in Richmond. A passenger was also passed out in the vehicle. After observing indicia of drug use in the vehicle, the officer was removing Lofton from the car when he observed a firearm in Lofton’s pants pocket. The officer placed Lofton in handcuffs and recovered the firearm, which was loaded with nine rounds of ammunition, including a round in the chamber.At the time of his arrest, Lofton previously had been convicted of, among other crimes, possession with intent to distribute marijuana (twice) and assault.
As a previously convicted felon, Lofton cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division investigated this case.Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Gilliland, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).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. 3:25-cr-12.