Essex man sentenced to more than 6 years for methamphetamine distribution, gun sale to convicted felon

ESSEX COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- An Essex County man was sentenced on Wednesday to more than six years in prison for federal drug trafficking and firearm convictions after selling methamphetamine and a handgun to a convicted felon.

During seven controlled buys conducted by law enforcement from Jan. 16, 2024, to Feb. 25, 2025, officers found that 48-year-old Brian Keith Anderson, of Essex's Dunnsville area, distributed a total of 117.29 grams of methamphetamine, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

On June 14, 2024, officers found that Anderson sold a handgun to a person he knew to be a convicted felon, along with 4.85 grams of methamphetamine.

In a search of Anderson's residence on March 5, 2025, investigators recovered $1,160, nine firearms, firearm magazines and ammunition, two digital scales containing methamphetamine residue, and one square tab containing LSD, per the DOJ.

“Brian Anderson endangered his community for personal profit, trafficking dangerous narcotics and selling a firearm to a convicted felon,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This investigation and prosecution removed a supplier of guns and drugs from our streets, and the Eastern District of Virginia will continue to hold accountable those who threaten public safety.”

Anderson faces six years and eight months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine and sale of a firearm to a convicted felon.