Richmond woman to serve two years for illegally possessing firearm in New Kent

A Richmond woman will spend the next two years in jail for illegally possessing a gun in New Kent County.

Donesha Shante Bland, 35, of the 3400 block of Walmsley Boulevard, entered a guilty plea to one count of possession of a gun by a nonviolent felon as part of an agreement reached Monday morning in New Kent Circuit Court. One charge of felony failure to appear was dropped as part of the agreement.

In a summary of evidence provided by New Kent Commonwealth’s Attorney Scott Renick, on Feb. 28, 2025, a high-speed chase initiated in New Kent and eventually came to a stop in Highland Springs. While the driver fled on foot, the passenger, identified as Bland, remained in the car. The defendant gave consent for the car to be searched, which resulted in the discovery of a 9mm pistol. Bland told the officers that the gun belonged to her, with a subsequent investigation revealing that Bland was a convicted felon and not allowed to have a weapon.

Under the agreement, Bland received a five-year sentence with three years suspended. The two years to serve is the mandatory minimum under the state statute.