RICHMOND, Va. — When Robert Coley ran from police during an April 2014 traffic stop in downtown Richmond, police said he tossed a gun over a chain-link fence. Police later found that weapon, a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun, lodged in the fence. The gun was loaded, police said, with a magazine containing 14 rounds of ammunition.
Coley, 29, was later arrested and in November 2014 found guilty of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. As a convicted felon, he was not allowed to possess a gun or ammunition. On Thursday, Coley was sentenced to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release.
Court records indicated Coley pleaded guilty to cocaine possession with intent to distribute charges in 2005. He was sentenced to five years in prison for that crime, though it was unclear for how long he actually served.
“Coley had been convicted of state and federal felony offenses prior to April 28, 2014, and was on supervised release for his prior federal conviction at the time of the instant offense,” Laura Taylor, spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Dana Boente, said in a statement. “Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Coley was also prohibited by the terms of his supervised release for his previous felony conviction from possessing a firearm.”
In addition to his 10 year sentence, Coley will serve a concurrent term of 18 months in prison for violating the terms of supervised release.
