ALEXANDRIA, VA. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Virginia, Eastern), published as received.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fredericksburg man was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for running a drug trafficking conspiracy and illegally dealing over 200 firearms.
According to court documents, beginning in August 2015 and continuing through his arrest in March 2018, Bobby Perkins, Jr., 29, supervised a conspiracy to distribute marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin in Fredericksburg and Stafford County. During the course of the conspiracy, Perkins routinely carried on his person semi-automatic pistols to avoid being robbed of his drugs and the proceeds of his drug-distribution activities. Additionally, Perkins supplied his co-conspirators with firearms, which they used in furtherance of the conspiracy.
“This man represents a danger to society through his pedaling of poison and trafficking of illegal firearms,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Perkins trafficked large amounts of potentially lethal drugs and sold over 200 guns, some of which were found at crime scenes, including homicides. Together with our law enforcement partners we are targeting areas where firearms and the drug trade are fueling violence and endangering the safety of those communities. We are committed to our mission of public safety and will continue to aggressively pursue those who choose to endanger the safety of the communities we serve.”
Separately, during an approximately five-month period in 2015, in Stafford County, Hanover County, and Henrico County, Perkins engaged in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Perkins acquired and re-sold over 200 semi-automatic pistols, at least 93 of which have been recovered by law enforcement, including at the scene of homicides. Most of the firearms were recovered in Washington, D.C., with others found in Maryland, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Perkins knew that several of the individuals to whom he sold the firearms were convicted felons.
“ATF works every day with our law enforcement partners to rid our streets of crime, not only in large cities but also in small-town areas, like Stafford and Henrico Counties,” said Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division. “Knowingly selling firearms without a license and selling firearms to convicted felons is a violation of federal law. When you commit a crime, there is a price to pay, and we will hold those responsible who violate federal laws.”
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, and Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander E. Blanchard and Carina A. Cuellar 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-214.
