Previously convicted Newport News man sentenced for federal firearm offense

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - A Newport News man was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, on Jan. 25, 2022, Antonio James Hill, 33, sold a .38 caliber handgun and five rounds of ammunition to a confidential informant (CI) for $200. During this controlled purchase, Hill was wearing a shoulder holster holding another firearm.

Hill was previously convicted of felonies, including malicious wounding and use or display of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He also was convicted of assaulting a corrections officer while incarcerated for the prior felony convictions. As a convicted felon, Hill cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, and Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. The Newport News Police Department and Hampton Police Department provided significant assistance in the investigation of this case.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson C. Yates, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General's Office, prosecuted the case.

Assistance was provided by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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. 4:24-cr-12.