Dwayne Taylor, 49, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to one year and one day in prison for illegally possessing a loaded revolver inside the Minnesota-Benning Government Center, a designated gun-free zone in Washington, D.C. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Taylor pleaded guilty on September 2, 2025, before Judge Jia M. Cobb to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to his prison sentence, Taylor will serve three years of supervised release.
The case involved cooperation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of ATF and Interim Chief Jeffrey Carroll of MPD joined U.S. Attorney Pirro in announcing the sentencing.
According to court documents, on June 30, 2025, an MPD officer responded to the government center after a security official identified Taylor as carrying a gun in his bag. When questioned by police, Taylor admitted there was a weapon in his backpack but said he did not have a permit or license to carry it.
“My weapon in my backpack,” Taylor told the officer. When asked if he had a permit, Taylor replied: “No it’s at home, I don’t got none of my stuff with me . . . I forgot when I was rushing out the door this morning. I forgot. I just put it in my bag and ran out the door.” He also stated: “No, I’m not licensed to carry.”
Police recovered a Hopkins & Allen 36 .38 Special Revolver loaded with five rounds from Taylor’s backpack.
Taylor is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions. In 1995, he was convicted for second degree murder while armed, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence related to the 1994 killing of cab driver Keith Moore. He served 27 years after being sentenced to 15-years-to-life.
The investigation was conducted by MPD and ATF Washington Field Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Liss for the District of Columbia.
