Portsmouth man sentenced to 17 years in prison for illegal firearm purchases
Portsmouth, Virginia – Dartanguia Antonious Lee, a 42-year-old Portsmouth man with multiple aliases, including Donte, Dante, Dionte, Snoop, Snookie, and Bully, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for using fraudulent means to acquire firearms. The sentencing took place last week, following a series of events that highlighted the ongoing issues surrounding illegal gun transactions and firearm possession by convicted felons.
According to court documents, between December 2019 and March 2020, Lee orchestrated a scheme to purchase at least 19 firearms using his girlfriend as a straw purchaser. The purchases were made from four different federally licensed firearms dealers. Lee’s status as a previously convicted felon prohibits him from legally purchasing or possessing firearms and ammunition. His criminal record includes serious drug offenses and five convictions for robbery with a dangerous weapon.
The firearms bought through these illicit means were often transferred to other convicted felons, who like Lee, were prohibited from purchasing firearms themselves. Law enforcement has since recovered some of these firearms, underscoring the risk and reality of these weapons being involved in criminal activities.
Lee’s activities eventually led to his arrest in Greensboro, North Carolina, in September 2022. At the time of his arrest, he was under federal indictment in Virginia and caught during a drug trafficking investigation that also involved multiple firearms. He still faces pending charges in North Carolina related to these activities.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter G. Osyf, with the announcement made by Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Washington Field Division, following the sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. The program involves collaboration among various levels of law enforcement and community organizations to enhance safety and security. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2021 with a strategy focused on building community trust, supporting violence prevention groups, prioritizing strategic enforcement, and measuring outcomes to ensure effectiveness.
