A 27-year-old Woodbridge man who shoved a Fairfax County police officer and fled on foot at a Herndon apartment complex, dropping a loaded Glock pistol in the process, pleaded guilty Friday to a federal firearms charge.
Khari Wheeler entered his plea in U.S. District Court in Alexandria to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced the same day.
The case traces back to Feb. 18, when FCPD Reston District Station officers responded to a reported domestic dispute at an apartment on William Short Circle in the Ashford Meadows neighborhood off Cornelia Road in Herndon.
What happened
According to an ATF special agent's affidavit filed in federal court, officers found Wheeler near the apartment. He told them he had been knocking on the door to retrieve his clothes. When an officer attempted a pat-down, Wheeler shoved the officer and tried to run.
During the struggle, a firearm fell from Wheeler's person. One officer shouted, "He's got a gun!" Wheeler ran a short distance before officers caught him.
Police recovered the Glock loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition, including one in the chamber.
Prior conviction
Wheeler told a detective he had a prior felony conviction. Court records confirmed he was convicted in Spotsylvania County Circuit Court in 2021 of possessing marijuana with intent to distribute. He was sentenced Aug. 25, 2021, to five years in prison, all but one month suspended.
Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms or ammunition.
How the case moved to federal court
Wheeler was initially charged in Fairfax County General District Court with possession of a gun by a nonviolent felon and resisting arrest. Both state charges were dismissed in early May after federal prosecutors took over.
A federal grand jury in Alexandria indicted Wheeler on June 4. A trial had been set for July 28, but was canceled after prosecutors reported a guilty plea was in the works.
Prosecutors wrote in a statement of facts that Wheeler "knew that he had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm."
What's next
Wheeler faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 22, in Alexandria. The case number is United States v. Wheeler, 1:26-cr-00101.
