A Gloucester man was sentenced last week to 35 years in federal prison for drug, firearms, witness tampering and retaliation and obstruction of justice convictions, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Nathan DeAlbert Mattocks, 39, a previously convicted felon, was arrested in 2020 after the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office received an emergency call from an individual reporting that he was being shot at by a person following in another vehicle while driving on a main road in Gloucester.

Following an investigation, law enforcement identified a vehicle matching the description in which Mattocks was an occupant. Officers arrested Mattocks and discovered “Roxicet 30” pills containing fentanyl, and a semi-automatic pistol in the vicinity of the crime scene connected to Mattocks, the release stated.

After Mattocks was arrested and detained pending trial, he became aware of potential witnesses in his case that had provided information to law enforcement about the shooting and the defendant’s prior drug dealing. Mattocks approached a known violent gang member, while both were incarcerated, and asked this individual to find others who could get rid of these witnesses by killing them or otherwise making sure they would not appear in court. Mattocks offered to pay this gang member or provide the gang member with a large quantity of drugs for this service.

Mattocks provided a note to the gang member with the names and information about the potential witnesses, one of which did testify at the July 2022 trial.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael T. Weddel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Washington Field Division, and Gloucester Sheriff Darrell W. Warren Jr. made the announcement on April 12 after sentencing the day before by Senior U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith.