Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Carrying of Concealed Firearm, Possessing Illegal Quantity of Marijuana During Traffic Stop
NORFOLK, Va. — Devontay Ramound Harrington, 35, pleaded guilty to felony carrying of a concealed firearm and felony possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute following a traffic stop earlier this year.
Around 9 p.m. on Feb. 18, Norfolk Police patrol officers pulled Mr. Harrington over for recklessly driving westbound on Norview Avenue near Five Points. The officers noticed an open container of alcohol in the front cupholder and had Mr. Harrington step out of the vehicle. When Mr. Harrington did so, the officers saw that he had a handgun concealed in his jacket pocket. The officers placed Mr. Harrington under arrest and subsequently searched his person and his car, finding $7,350 in Mr. Harrington’s pockets and wallet as well as more than two pounds of marijuana, packaging materials, and a digital scale in his car.
On May 22, Mr. Harrington entered an agreement to plead guilty to felony possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute and felony third-offense carrying of a concealed weapon (due to Mr. Harrington having prior concealed carry convictions from 2018 and 2020). In exchange for Mr. Harrington’s guilty pleas, the Commonwealth agreed to the dismissal of two additional charges. Judge Joseph C. Lindsey accepted Mr. Harrington’s plea agreement and set his sentencing hearing on June 27. All terms of Mr. Harrington’s sentence will be left to the discretion of the judge.
“While Mr. Harrington should not have been selling marijuana illegally, the real problem in this case is that Mr. Harrington had armed himself and was once again concealing a firearm,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Carrying a concealed gun while engaging in illegal activity greatly increases the danger of violence for everyone. We sought and secured a felony concealed-weapon conviction against Mr. Harrington because he has shown that he cannot possess a firearm responsibly. At sentencing we will seek a sanction appropriate to the fact that Mr. Harrington introduced a weapon into a situation where he should not have.”
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Victoria T. Vaccaro is prosecuting Mr. Harrington’s case, and Norfolk Police Officers John C. Ball and Seth M. Williams led the investigation.
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