Richmond Leader

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia issued the following announcement on Feb. 21.

A Richmond gang member was sentenced today to five years in prison for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.

According to court documents, in August 2019, Richmond Police Department (RPD) officers observed Terrell Clarke-Conley, 22, as the passenger in a vehicle on a traffic stop at the intersection of Westwood Avenue and Chamberlayne Avenue in Richmond. The officers identified Clarke-Conley as a wanted fugitive, and after being stopped, Clarke-Conley attempted to flee when officers asked him to step out of the vehicle. Following a brief struggle, RPD officers recovered a Glock, Model 19X, 9mm caliber, semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 19 rounds in a high-capacity magazine, in Clarke-Conley’s possession. At the time of his possession of the firearm, Clarke-Conley had previously been convicted of a felony.

During the sentencing, the Court determined that Clarke-Conley was a 4Xon gang member, a gang located in the Highland Park area of Richmond. In imposing a five-level upward sentencing variance, the Court focused on several other incidents involving Clarke-Conley’s firearm possession and his involvement in the 4Xon gang.   

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.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and William C. Smith, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert 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 are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-129.

Original source can be found here.