Convicted Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Firearms

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fauquier County man was sentenced today to nearly three and a half years in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms. 

According to court documents, Douglas Newton, 57, has several prior felony convictions, including convictions for unauthorized use of a vehicle and grand larceny, third degree homicide, and attempted unlawful wounding and use of a firearm during a felony. In October 2018, special agents with the ATF executed a search warrant at Newton’s residence and recovered three firearms and approximately 390 rounds of ammunition. 

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 Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia T. Giles 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-422.