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Public Safety, Virginia

Richmond man pleads guilty after police find machine gun in his possession

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A Richmond man pleaded guilty Thursday to illegally possessing a machine gun after police found him with a conversion device for a Glock 45 9mm handgun during a traffic stop.

Sterling Alexander Davis, 21, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 30 and faces up to 10 years in prison.

According to court documents, on March 25, 2023, Davis failed to stop at the intersection of Orcutt Lane and Kimrod Road, and Richmond police performed a traffic stop.

Davis told officers there were no firearms in the vehicle, but officers recognized the two passengers in the back seat and knew that they had possessed firearms in previous encounters.

The officers checked both backseat passengers and found firearms in their pants.

The officers then performed a sweep of the vehicle for additional weapons and located a Glock 45 9mm handgun under the driver seat. The handgun was equipped with a laser guide and an extended magazine. The Glock also had a machinegun conversion device which rendered it capable of fully automatic fire meeting the legal definition of a machine gun.

Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for nearly 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.