Dion Zellars, a 37-year-old from Capitol Heights, Maryland, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. The sentence was handed down in U.S. District Court, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Zellars, who also goes by the name Thomas Good, pleaded guilty on September 30, 2025. This marks his fifth conviction related to firearms offenses. In addition to the prison term, Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered Zellars to serve three years of supervised release.
Interim Chief Jeffrey Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department joined U.S. Attorney Pirro in announcing the sentencing.
Court documents state that on March 20, 2025, four officers from the Metropolitan Police Department were patrolling Southern Avenue SE when they noticed several people on the sidewalk. Zellars attempted to hide behind a parked SUV when he saw police officers approaching.
As more officers arrived in an unmarked vehicle, Zellars ran away while holding his waistband. During the pursuit, officers observed him holding a black firearm and ordered him to drop it. He fled through residential yards and dropped the gun before being apprehended after tripping on steps leading into another yard. At first, he identified himself as Thomas Anthony Good but provided Zellars’ date of birth.
Police recovered cell phones and a Glock 29 pistol with a laser attachment at the scene. The pistol had one round in the chamber and a magazine containing 14 rounds out of a possible 15.
A search of Zellars’ phone revealed text messages and images from earlier that day documenting his possession of the Glock pistol. In one message sent at around 1:19 p.m., Zellars shared photos of the gun with someone named “Boo” and asked their opinion about it. “Yu like this joint?” In response, “Boo” replied: “asking me about a gun when u just did 10 years ! u shouldn’t even be touching that.”
Zellars had been released to a halfway house on March 12, 2025—about one week prior to his arrest—and was under supervision for two previous gun convictions at the time of this incident.
The case was investigated by the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael L. Barclay prosecuted the case for the District of Columbia.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in making this announcement were ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood and Interim Chief Jeffrey Carroll.