Charles Washington, Jr., a 34-year-old resident of the District of Columbia and previously convicted felon, was sentenced on Mar. 9 to 27 months in prison for illegally possessing ammunition while on probation, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The sentencing highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address gun-related offenses involving individuals with prior felony convictions.
Washington pleaded guilty on Nov. 12, 2025, before Judge Reggie B. Walton to one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Walton ordered that Washington serve three years of supervised release following his incarceration.
According to court documents, Metropolitan Police officers responded at approximately 4:05 p.m. on March 12, 2025, to the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue SE after reports of firearms in the area. Officers observed several individuals near a grey car; Washington was seen leaning against the vehicle and fled when police arrived, holding his waistband as he ran. He stopped at a sewer drain and appeared to discard an object before being apprehended after tripping nearby. Officers recovered a black “ghost gun” from the sewer—a privately made firearm with a Polymer 80 frame and Glock components—loaded with twelve rounds and one in the chamber.
U.S. Attorney Pirro announced the sentencing alongside ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The case was investigated by MPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.
The case underscores continued collaboration between federal prosecutors and local law enforcement agencies in addressing illegal firearm possession.