Previously Convicted Felon Indicted for Firearms Crime

NORFOLK, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging a Norfolk man with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to allegations in the indictment, Earlon Mitchell, 29, is a convicted felon who illegally possessed a Kel-Tec 9mm Luger caliber semi-automatic handgun. On March 29, two Norfolk police officers approached Mitchell with the intent to arrest him on outstanding arrest warrants, but he tried to flee. After a struggle, the officers detained him and found the loaded Kel-Tec handgun in his pant leg.

If convicted, Mitchell faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. 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.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Jackson 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. 2:18-cr-117.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.