Darryl Dacota Riley, Jr., a 40-year-old resident of the District of Columbia and previously convicted felon, was sentenced on July 23 to 120 months in prison for his involvement as a wholesale supplier in a large-scale narcotics trafficking conspiracy. The sentencing took place in U.S. District Court and was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
U.S. Attorney Pirro said, “Riley wasn’t just selling drugs in the summer of 2024, he was pumping lethal substances into a neighborhood already reeling from violence and daily fear. His operation sat at the center of a zone where families were living through murders, armed assaults, robberies, and break‑ins within steps of his stash house. This sentence delivers accountability for the violence his trafficking fueled, the fentanyl and PCP he chose to sell, and the firearms he kept ready to defend his profit. To every parent and resident of D.C.: we have your back. Drug traffickers will be caught, charged, and face federal prison time.”
Riley pleaded guilty on Feb. 12 before Judge Timothy J. Kelly to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of phencyclidine (PCP), 500 grams or more of cocaine, and 40 grams or more of fentanyl; as well as unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to the prison term imposed by Judge Kelly, Riley will serve five years under supervised release following incarceration.
According to court documents cited during sentencing proceedings, FBI agents began investigating a drug trafficking operation centered around the 2900 block of Knox Place SE during summer 2024 after identifying an alleged fentanyl and PCP trafficker operating there. Through their investigation into narcotics suppliers linked with this individual’s network, agents determined that Riley conspired with others in redistributing cocaine, PCP, fentanyl, among other drugs.
Court papers further state that between July 2024 through Riley’s arrest in August 2025—during which time five homicides, seventeen assaults with dangerous weapons, five robberies, and eight burglaries occurred within close proximity—Riley served as wholesale supplier of liquid PCP delivered for redistribution from Knox Place SE using terms like “Deer Park” during intercepted calls.
A search warrant executed at Riley’s residence on August 26 resulted in recovery by law enforcement officers—including FBI agents—of over 930 grams of cocaine, nearly 120 grams of fentanyl, various other narcotics, more than $20,000 cash, and three loaded firearms including a privately made rifle.