Rarkease Charles Bishop, a 23-year-old resident of the District of Columbia and previously convicted felon, was sentenced on Apr. 2 to 28 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a Glock pistol while on supervised release for another gun offense, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The sentencing underscores ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address gun violence and violations by repeat offenders. The case highlights concerns about public safety when individuals with prior convictions continue to possess firearms despite court orders.
Bishop pleaded guilty on Dec. 16, 2025, in U.S. District Court to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the prison term, Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Bishop to serve three years of supervised release. Prosecutors had requested a sentence of 37 months.
“Rarkease Bishop had multiple opportunities to turn his life around and instead chose, repeatedly and deliberately, to arm himself in defiance of the law and the courts,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “He fled from officers, fought his arrest, and tried to hide the loaded gun he was carrying even after he was in handcuffs. That is not the behavior of someone who poses a manageable risk. It is the behavior of someone the community needs to be protected from.”
According to court documents, Metropolitan Police Department officers attempted to stop Bishop on July 16, 2025 after recognizing him driving a vehicle reported stolen out of Laurel, Maryland. Bishop fled at high speed before abandoning the car and attempting escape on foot near C Street SE where he resisted arrest while trying to conceal a loaded Glock Model 23 pistol in his pant leg.
The case was investigated by both local police and federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Washington Field Division and prosecuted under initiatives aimed at reducing gun violence through stricter enforcement.
