Three Richmond men caught with illegal guns, one busted after Instagram post

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Two Richmond men were sentenced to separate prison sentences, and a third was convicted earlier this week for unrelated federal firearms crimes -- with one being caught after an Instagram post.

On Tuesday, Aug. 19, 26-year-old Devon Sherman Mickins was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty on March 6, while 35-year-old Javion Stamper was sentenced to one year and nine months after pleading guilty on April 25.

Forty-four-year-old Ross Allan Jefferson pled guilty on Wednesday, Aug. 20, to being a felon in possession of a firearm, and could face over 15 years in prison.

The three men were all convicted for being felons in possession of firearms, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

Devon Mickins

According to court documents, on Aug. 30, 2024, Mickins got on Richmond Police's radar when he posted a photograph of himself on Instagram holding a rifle.

Days later on Sept. 4, 2024, a Richmond Police detective saw Mickins carrying the same rifle that he was seen holding on Instagram. He later sat in a chair outside his apartment with the rifle.

Detectives and officers later approached Mickins, who had a rifle in his life, and a detective safely took the rifle and Mickins was taken into custody.

Police found another firearm from the apartment, and Mickins had prior felony convictions for malicious wounding, robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon -- which he allegedly committed in Richmond in 2019 and 2021.

Mickins pled guilty on March 6, and was sentenced to three years and eight months on Tuesday.

Javion Stamper

On Sept. 29, 2024, Richmond Police saw Stamper standing with a small group when they believed they saw him with a firearm in the waistband of his pants, per court documents.

The officers stopped their police vehicle to investigate, and as they were exiting the vehicle, Stamper ran away.

Police initiated a pursuit and one of the officers heard Stamper behind bushes and ordered him to come out. Stamper was later detained, and soon after, an officer recovered the firearm from where Stamper tried to hide.

The firearm had been stolen and was loaded, and Stamper had previously been convicted of robbery in 2019, per the DOJ.

Stamper pled guilty on April 25, and was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison on Tuesday.

Ross Allan Jefferson

According to court documents, on May 7, 2024. Henrico County Police Division conducted a traffic stop on Jefferson, who had outstanding warrants in Richmond and Petersburg.

During the stop, police saw a loaded handgun with an extended magazine under the driver's seat of the vehicle.

Police reportedly secured the firearm and found a .40 caliber round of ammunition in Jefferson's pocket.

The serial number to the firearm had been "obliterated," per the DOJ.

Jefferson pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on Wednesday, and is to be sentenced on Thursday, Nov. 20. He faces up to 15 years in prison.