Man Sentenced to More Than a Year for Being a Felon Carrying a Concealed Weapon

NORFOLK, Va. – Arthur Ray Cooke II, 35, was sentenced on Monday to serve one year and four months in prison for felony carrying of a concealed firearm and for being a felon in possession of a firearm last year.

On June 7, Mr. Cooke was sitting outside his residence on Sellger Drive when Norfolk Police officers responded to the area for a gunshot disturbance call. When officers approached Mr. Cooke, they saw him move something from his hand to underneath his leg. Officers asked Mr. Cooke what had just been in his hand and to stand up, but Mr. Cooke denied holding anything and refused multiple times. When Mr. Cooke finally did stand up, a handgun that had been concealed under his leg dropped onto the ground. Mr. Cooke has two previous convictions of misdemeanor carrying of a concealed weapon and, as a previously convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing a gun.

Mr. Cooke pleaded guilty on Monday to felony carrying of a concealed weapon (third offense) and to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Robert B. Rigney accepted Mr. Cooke’s plea with an agreed active sentence of one year and four months in prison and an additional two years in prison suspended on the condition that Mr. Cooke complete two years of uniform good behavior and supervised probation following his release.

“Our laws prohibit people convicted of felonies of possessing firearms, and they prohibit all people from concealing firearms without a permit,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Mr. Cooke disobeyed those provisions, because he was not supposed even to touch a gun, let alone have one. We will continue to prosecute people for dangerous and irresponsible conduct such as we have seen here.”

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jessica L. Terkovich prosecuted Mr. Cooke’s case on behalf of the Commonwealth, and Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Andrew Kolp led Mr. Cooke’s sentencing hearing.

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