A Portsmouth man is heading to federal prison after police found a modified handgun and a stash of drugs during a traffic stop earlier this year in Norfolk.
Joshaua Sheimel Anderson, 25, was sentenced to four years and five months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Anderson, a convicted felon, was arrested on Feb. 16, 2024, after police in Norfolk and Portsmouth stopped a vehicle and took him into custody on outstanding warrants.
During the arrest, officers found a loaded handgun in Anderson’s backpack. The weapon had a machine gun conversion device — a piece of hardware that turns a standard semi-automatic pistol into a fully automatic weapon. It was also equipped with a 31-round extended magazine.
But that wasn’t all. Police also seized more than a pound and a half of marijuana, several jars of suspected THC wax, and over $2,200 in cash.
Anderson has a history of felony convictions, including grand larceny, felony eluding, hit and run, and a previous conviction for illegally possessing a firearm. Federal law prohibits felons from owning or possessing guns or ammunition.
The case was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia, with support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Portsmouth Police Department. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis handed down the sentence.
Officials involved in the case include U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert, Virginia Attorney General Jason S. Miyares, ATF Washington Field Division Special Agent in Charge Anthony A. Spotswood, and Portsmouth Police Chief Stephen Jenkins.