Two Men Plead Guilty to Brandishing Firearm

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man pleaded guilty yesterday and a Henrico man pleaded guilty last week to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in cases where each brandished their firearms in a residential area.

According to court documents, on July 23, 2021, police officers observed on social media Anthony Cornelius Brown Jr., 24, of Richmond, Dequane McCullers, 24, of Henrico, and several other individuals brandishing firearms in the Belt Atlantic apartment complex in South Richmond. When the officers responded to the area, they again observed Brown, McCullers and two others still in the area. As the officers attempted to stop Brown, McCullers, and two other individuals, the suspects dispersed in an attempt to avoid the officers. Ultimately, the officers detained all four and found Brown in possession of a Glock 35, .40 caliber firearm and McCullers in possession of a Glock 23, .40 caliber firearm

Brown pleaded guilty yesterday to possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony. McCullers pleaded guilty on April 6 to the same charge.

Brown and McCullers are both scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2022. They each face 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.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Gerald M. Smith, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr., accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony is prosecuting the case.

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.

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. 3:21-cr-131.