A Portsmouth man accused of running a street-level fentanyl and cocaine operation out of his home had his felony drug and firearms charges deemed nolle prosequi this week, a legal move that dismisses the case for now without closing the door on future prosecution. Walter Freeman Jr., 64, saw the charges dropped during a preliminary hearing in Portsmouth General District Court on Friday, October 2, according to online court records.
The dismissal comes nearly six months after Portsmouth’s Special Investigations and Fugitive Apprehension units wrapped up a narcotics investigation that led to Freeman’s arrest. As reported by WAVY.com, detectives began looking into Freeman after receiving tips from the community and personally observing narcotics transactions, which led them to secure three separate search warrants covering his residence, his person, and his vehicle in the 2500 block of Oakleaf Place on April 16.
When officers executed those warrants, they recovered six ounces of crack cocaine and one ounce of fentanyl that had already been processed into 159 individual capsules packaged for street sales, per the same account. Investigators also found two firearms, ammunition, an unknown amount of cash, and tools used for weighing and packaging narcotics for sale. Because Freeman is a convicted felon, he is legally prohibited from owning firearms, and detectives charged him not only with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine but also with multiple counts tied to illegal firearm and ammunition possession by a convicted felon.
What Nolle Prosequi Actually Means
A nolle prosequi disposition is not an acquittal, and it does not mean the case is over for good. Under Virginia Code § 19.2-265.3, entering such a disposition requires a motion by the Commonwealth showing good cause and approval from the court, and it drops the current charges without prejudice — language that allows prosecutors to re-indict or refile the same charges later, according to Abrenio Law…