Martinsville Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

DANVILLE, Va.– A Martinsville, Virginia man, who illegally possessed a firearm due to his prior felony conviction, was sentenced recently to 57 months in federal prison.

Demetrius Perkins, 30, previously pled guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, on July 7, 2023, Martinsville Police attempted to stop a silver GMC Acadia that matched the description of a vehicle previously reported to be involved in a hit and run. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as Perkins, failed to stop, and drove away at a high rate of speed. Perkins eventually lost control of his vehicle, which crossed a median into the opposite lane of travel before crashing into a ditch.

Following the crash, Perkins exited the vehicle and ran into some nearby tall grass. Officers ran after Perkins and saw him remove a firearm from his waistband and toss it into the grass. Perkins surrendered, saying, “You see, you see. You got me.”

After taking Perkins into custody, an officer returned to the spot in the grass where he had seen Perkins drop the gun. The officer recovered a loaded 9mm, semi-automatic pistol lying on the ground in a holster. At the time he possessed the firearm, Perkins was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms.

United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanagh, and James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosive and the Martinsville Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin B. Johnson prosecuted the case.