Jefry Stevent Padilla Sanchez, 21, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 21 months in federal prison for illegal possession of a loaded handgun while on supervised release. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Padilla pleaded guilty on October 23, 2025, before Judge Tanya S. Chutkan to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Chutkan ordered Padilla to serve three years of supervised release.
Court documents state that on September 12, 2025, Metro Transit Police officers saw Padilla commit fare evasion at the Fort Totten Metro Station by following closely behind another passenger who paid. Officers detained him and found that he had an active extraditable warrant from the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland, related to probation violations from a felony burglary conviction.
After placing Padilla under arrest and searching him, police discovered a concealed 9mm Heckler & Koch P2000SK semiautomatic handgun loaded with nine rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber. Officers also recovered about 37 “M30” pills that tested positive for fentanyl.
At the time of his arrest, Padilla had multiple prior felony convictions in Maryland, including second-degree burglary and unauthorized removal of a motor vehicle. He was serving concurrent terms of supervised probation for these offenses.
The case was investigated by the Metro Transit Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tortorice.
