NORFOLK, Va. — A man with a decades-old criminal record pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of possessing Schedule II controlled substances in Norfolk, including fentanyl.
Lacal Richardson, 43, was arrested on March 8 on a warrant out of Norfolk and Chesapeake. During the arrest, officers found cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Richardson also pleaded guilty to breaking his probation that stemmed from charges he was sentenced for in 2004.
“It is important to hold people accountable for their actions, but we must also offer treatment and diversion wherever possible to help break the cycle of suffering, arrest, and incarceration for people in the justice system with substance use disorder and mental illness,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi wrote in a news release.
As part of a plea agreement, Richardson agreed to be screened for the Norfolk Circuit Court's therapeutic dockets, which is a court-administered behavioral health treatment program.
