U.S. Department
of Justice
Thieves Sentenced for Stealing 30 Firearms in Burglary
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Four residents of Newport News have been sentenced for stealing more than 30 firearms from Southern Police Equipment, a federally licensed firearms dealer in Chesterfield County, during a break-in on Aug. 7, 2015.
Xavier Greene, 21, Deshawn Shields, 20, Mariah Walker, 20, and Endyia Washington, 26, all pleaded guilty to the burglary. Greene, the final defendant to plead guilty, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and, along with his co-defendants, was ordered to pay restitution of $26,582.76 to the victims in this case.
According to court documents, on Aug. 7, 2015, Greene, Shields, Walker and Washington drove from Newport News to Richmond with a plan to steal firearms from a pawn shop. The group abandoned one location due to heavy police presence and went to Southern Police Equipment on Midlothian Turnpike. Washington and Walker dropped off Greene and Shields behind the building while Greene and Shields attempted to disable security measures by ripping the power box off the building. Greene and Shields entered the store causing thousands of dollars in damage and gathered over 30 firearms, including rifles, handguns and a shotgun. Walker and Washington picked the men up and drove back to Newport News. Upon their return, Greene invited multiple gang members from 36th Street Bang Squad to come to Washington’s home to pick up firearms. Additional firearms were given to another 36th Street Bang Squad member in Hampton to sell. The 36th Street Bang Squad is a hybrid criminal street gang on the peninsula responsible for shootings, murders, robberies and other violent crimes, of which Greene was a member. Stolen firearms in this case have been recovered in Hampton, Newport News and Virginia Beach in other jurisdictions.
All four defendants have entered guilty pleas and been sentenced.
|
Name |
Date of Sentencing |
Sentence |
|
Endyia Washington |
April 20 |
60 months |
|
Deshawn Shields |
April 20 |
96 months |
|
Mariah Walker |
May 6 |
65 months |
|
Xavier Greene |
May 20 |
120 months |
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; Terry Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division; and Richard Myers, Chief of Newport News Police Department, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Cross prosecuted the case.
The case was investigated by the ATF’s Norfolk and Richmond divisions, with significant assistance from the Hampton Police Division, the Newport News Police Department, and Chesterfield Police Department.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:15-cr-76.