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RICHMOND, VA, October 17, 2025 — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Richard Brian Walker, who pleaded guilty to several drug trafficking and firearm offenses, including possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A). Walker argued that his guilty plea lacked an adequate factual basis because most of the drugs were stored in a locked safe separate from the firearms. The appellate panel, consisting of Judges King, Richardson, and Quattlebaum, rejected that claim, finding no plain error in the district court’s acceptance of the plea. The court held that the government’s factual proffer sufficiently linked the firearms to drug trafficking activity, noting that officers found multiple firearms ...

RICHMOND, VA, October 17, 2025 — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the 63-month prison sentence of Tron Martelle Harrison, who pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). Harrison appealed his sentence, arguing that the district court’s upward variance from the Sentencing Guidelines range was substantively unreasonable. The appellate panel, consisting of Judges Wynn and Rushing and Senior Judge Floyd, rejected that argument. The court found that the district court properly considered the factors under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), including Harrison’s history of firearm-related convictions, the seriousness of his most recent offense, and his prior federal conviction for the same con...

RICHMOND, VA, October 17, 2025 — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld the 336-month federal prison sentence of Derrick “Red” Simpson, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Simpson challenged his sentence as procedurally unreasonable, arguing that the district court denied him due process by limiting his ability to dispute witness statements and enhancements, improperly applied a firearm enhancement, and failed to address his request for a downward variance. The appellate panel, consisting of Judges King, Quattlebaum, and Senior Judge Traxler, rejected each argument. The court found that the district court acted within its discretion in relying on corroborated co-conspirator statements and testimony supporting the enha...