Portsmouth Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Machine Gun

NORFOLK, Va. - A Portsmouth man pleaded guilty today to possessing a machine gun.

According to court documents, Trashawn Newsome, 21, was in possession of a machine gun on October 6, 2022. That day, Chesapeake Police officers were investigating a vehicle reported stolen in the vicinity of Camelot Boulevard. Newsome was observed speaking with the occupants of the stolen vehicle. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle and ordered Newsome and another individual to the ground. The stolen vehicle fled the scene and Newsome walked back to his vehicle and put an item into the car through the driver's side door before getting onto the ground. Officers observed a firearm magazine on the ground inches away from Newsome as he was being detained. A narcotics K9 conducted an open-air sniff around his vehicle and alerted to the front driver's side door. Officers recovered from the vehicle approximately 120 grams marijuana; a scale; plastic baggies; and a Glock 22, Gen 4 semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine and an attached component that converted the handgun into a fully automatic gun.

Newsome is scheduled to be sentenced on November 30. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Norfolk Field Office; and Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Cheney is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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. 2:23-cr-36.