ALEXANDRIA, VA. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Woodbridge man pled guilty today to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on Feb. 18, 2026, Fairfax County Police (FCPD) responding to a 911 call regarding a domestic dispute at an apartment in Herndon arrived to find Khari Wheeler, 27, who acknowledged that he had been knocking on the door of the apartment. When officers attempted to conduct a pat down, Wheeler attempted to flee, at which point a loaded handgun he had been carrying fell from his person. Wheeler was apprehended after a brief pursuit.
As a previously convicted felon, Wheeler cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Wheeler is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 22 and faces up to 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division investigated this case with assistance from FCPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amber N. Rieff and April N. Russo are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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. 1:26-cr-101.
