Man Convicted of Trafficking Methamphetamine

RICHMOND, Va. – A federal district court judge convicted a Chesterfield County man following a bench trial today on a charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, John Jason Morgan, 47, had an outstanding arrest warrant for violating a term of supervised release from a 2006 federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. When arrested on that warrant in September 2017, Morgan had 4.5 grams of methamphetamine in his pants pocket and more than 19 grams of methamphetamine in a safe in his truck. Along with the sheer quantity of methamphetamine that was much greater than an amount typically possessed for personal use, Morgan had scales, packaging materials and other items that indicated distribution activities. 

Morgan faces a minimum of five years a maximum of 40 years in prison when sentenced on December 13. Additionally, Morgan faces up to five years in prison on the federal supervised release violation. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Scott W. Hoernke, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, and Alfred Durham, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck found Morgan guilty. Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman is prosecuting 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. 3:18-cr-48 and 3:06-cr-494-01.