Richmond felon sentenced for drug trafficking while on probation for prior firearm conviction

RICHMOND, Va. - A Richmond man was sentenced yesterday to three years and 10 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin.

According to court documents, on Sept. 23, 2021, Samuel Tarry, 27, was convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was sentenced to five years in prison, with four years and six months suspended for a period of five years, conditioned on Tarry's good behavior. Tarry was released from prison on Feb. 22, 2022. Because Tarry was a confirmed member of the 13th Gang, he was assigned to a specialized probation officer.

Less than a year later, detectives with the Richmond Police Department conducted a search of Tarry's residence, which he shared with his girlfriend and their 5-year-old child. Detectives recovered several items, including a semiautomatic firearm and associated ammunition, 75 grams of heroin, and a ledger of account names, money movement, cash deposits, and credit and debit cards in the names of multiple people.

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; Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police; and Colette Wallace McEachin, Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Richmond, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Groover, an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney with the Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Office prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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. 3:24-cr-2.