Farmville man sentenced to 15 years for federal drug and firearm offenses

NOTTOWAY COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A Farmville man was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday for drug and firearms offenses in Nottoway County last year.

On Wednesday, Nov. 12, 42-year-old Tyrone Lamont Fowlkes was sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, Oxycodone and marijuana.

On Feb. 7, 2024, Fowlkes was sitting in a pickup truck in a Nottoway County parking lot. A deputy approached the vehicle and tapped on the window, per court documents. He then sped off, and the deputy initiated a pursuit. Fowlkes soon crashed into a tree, totaled the vehicle and injured himself.

Law enforcement recovered three firearms, three digital scales, $948.84, 198 grams of cocaine, four methamphetamine pills, 60 Oxycodone pills and 455 grams of marijuana. The Department of Justice (DOJ) said one of the firearms is believed to have been stolen. The incident led to multiple arrest warrants issued for Fowlkes.

On Aug. 9, 2024, law enforcement found Fowlkes driving an SUV in Nottoway, despite having outstanding warrants.

During a traffic stop, a police K-9 detected the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle. In their search, officers found three firearms, a large-capacity magazine, two digital scales, $1,260, 117 grams of cocaine, 20 grams of methamphetamine, 24 Oxycodone pills and 321 grams of marijuana.

According to the DOJ, Fowlkes had prior convictions for distributing cocaine in both 2008 and 2011, as well as for possessing with intent to distribute marijuana in 2021 for a 2019 incident during which investigators say he possessed a firearm.

As Fowlkes is a previously convicted felon, he is legally prohibited from possessing to have firearms or ammunition.