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UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ALEXANDRIA NEWPORT NEWS NORFOLK RICHMOND CHUCK ROSENBERG, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jim Rybicki Public Information Officer Phone: (703) 842-4050 Fax: (703) 549-5202 E-Mail: usavae.press@usdoj.gov Website: www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae |
January 5, 2007 Further Information Contact: |
Gilpin Court Drug Dealer Sentenced To Life Plus 30 Year
(Richmond, VA) - Henry Paul Richardson, a.k.a. “Packer,” age 25, of Richmond, Virginia, was sentenced today in United States District Court to life, plus an additional 30 years in prison. Richardson was convicted on June 27, 2006 of conspiring to distribute heroin, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and using a firearm to commit murder. Chuck Rosenberg, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Charlie Cunningham, Special Agent-In-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Richmond Resident Office; and Col. Rodney Monroe, Chief, Richmond Police Department announced the sentencing.
Evidence presented at trial established that Richardson, said to consider himself the “John Gotti” of the projects, was a quick-tempered heroin dealer operating out of an apartment in the Gilpin Court housing project in Richmond. Beginning in the summer of 2005, he ran a loose-knit distribution operation that included runners, lookouts, and a lieutenant who managed the flow of traffic in and out of the apartment.
On February 14, 2006, Richardson, angered by the sale of fake, or “dummy,” heroin by lower level dealers in his area, decided to send a message and eliminate his competition. He and several others, armed with AK-47 assault rifles, drove in a van to the intersection of St. Paul and Coutts Streets in Gilpin Court. Once there, Richardson and another person exited the van and fired at least 29 rounds at Freeman G. Brown and Sylvester T. Washington, who were standing on the corner. Brown was pronounced dead at the scene, and Washington sustained multiple gunshot wounds, resulting in the amputation of his left leg and the loss of use of his left arm.
The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and officers of the Richmond Police Department. The Henrico County Police Department also assisted in the apprehension of Richardson at the conclusion of the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roderick C. Young.