COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. -- A Colonial Heights man is behind bars and now faces a slew of both drug and gun charges. CBS 6 has learned that this is not the first time the man has been in trouble with the law.
The Sherwood Hills neighborhood in Colonial Heights is often described by residents in the same way.
"This whole neighborhood is pretty quiet," said David Smith, a resident who is also a neighbor of the man arrested.
However, on Wednesday, police spent hours inside a home in the neighborhood on the 300 block of Nottingham Drive, after they were called to the residence in the early morning hours.
"It's not what you'd suspect around here," Smith said.
Sergeant Desiree McCurry, of the Colonial Heights Police Department, said police were called to the home after a 911 call reported a domestic situation between a boyfriend and girlfriend.
When police arrived, they found the girlfriend and 39-year-old Joshua Jernigan. McCurry says both Jernigan and the girlfriend "gave consent to search the home."
During a search of the home, a gun magazine was found by an officer.
“Once they saw the magazine, of a firearm, they then realized that Mr. Jernigan was a convicted felon and shouldn’t have had that anyway,” McCurry said.
Police obtained a search warrant and opened up a gun safe where they say… they found a gun described by the girlfriend.
However, that was not all police found in the home.
“They found over 25 various firearms to include pistols, long guns, and shotguns,” McCurry said.
“I knew he had guns and stuff but I just, around here that’s kind of the norm,” Smith said.
The search also turned up helmets, ballistic vests, and suppressors.
“They also found a lot of pills, a lot of various types of narcotics,” McCurry said.
Police say Jernigan has a long court record.
“He is a 13-time convicted felon, that’s both in-state and out of state,” McCurry said. “He’s not allowed to have any sort of magazines, ammunition, any firearms, suppressors, anything that belongs on a gun, he cannot have.”
Jernigan is now facing multiple felonies including:
- A domestic assault and battery charge….
- Possession with intent to distribute….
As for the firearms, Jernigan is being charged with the following:
- Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon
- Possession of a sawed-off shotgun
- Possession of a firearm while in possession of narcotics
Smith says he was surprised by the arrest and charges.
“He’s always been one of the friendliest of the neighbors,” he said.
Jernigan is being held at Riverside Regional Jail without bond. Police say more charges are possible.
If you have any information about this crime, or any other and would like to remain anonymous, please contact Chesterfield/Colonial Heights Crime Solvers at (804)748-0660 or submit a tip using the mobile app.
You may also contact Senior Detective M. Davis at (804)898-3066 or at davism@colonialheightsva.gov.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
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