Convicted Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing Firearm

RICHMOND, Va. – A previously convicted felon was arrested today on charges of illegally possessing a firearm.

According to court documents, in December 2019, the U.S. Marshals Service, Richmond Police, and Chesterfield County Police executed arrest warrants for Elijah Lamar Cupitt, 37, of Chesterfield, and another individual who is a homicide suspect at a Chesterfield residence. When executing the warrants, the U.S. Marshals recovered a firearm belonging to Cupitt.

Cupitt is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Simon, Jr. is prosecuting 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. 3:20-mj-59.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.