Williamsburg Man Sentenced on Firearm Charge

NEWPORT NEWS, VA—Mark Xavier Wallace, a/k/a Mark Xavier Grinage, II, 29, of Williamsburg, Va., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Wallace was found guilty by a jury on December 17, 2010.

According to court records and evidence at trial, on June 5, 2010, law enforcement officers responded to the parking lot of the Blurr Bistro and Lounge in Newport News, Va., after hearing gunfire. As they entered the parking lot, they saw Wallace holding a firearm. Wallace raised his weapon toward the officers, leading one officer to fire at him. Wallace immediately dropped to the ground and threw his weapon toward the curb, where it was later recovered. Subsequent forensic analysis determined that the firearm, a 9mm Glock 19 handgun, had fired the rounds for which nine shell casings were found in another section of the parking lot. Following his flight from law enforcement and resisting arrest, Wallace was taken into custody.

This case was investigated by the FBI, Newport News Police Department, and the Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Howard J. Zlotnick and Trial Attorney Albert B. Stieglitz, Jr. of the Justice Department's Criminal Division prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at vaed.uscourts.gov or on pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.