Defendant Was on Supervision for a Prior Drug Trafficking Conviction
WASHINGTON - Thomas Washington, 66, of Northeast, D.C., pled guilty today to possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Washington pled guilty before the Honorable Randolph D. Moss in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Washington faces a mandatory minimum of five years of incarceration and up to life imprisonment. Judge Moss scheduled Washington’s sentencing for Oct. 11, 2019.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 8, 2018, members of MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Division observed Washington conducting hand-to-hand drug transactions. After arresting Washington, where he possessed a stun gun and $3,067, MPD officers executed a search warrant at Washington’s residence that was located in the 4900 block of Nash Street, Northeast. During the execution of the search warrant, MPD officers recovered a High-Point model CF380 semi-automatic handgun in the dresser of the bedroom. The firearm was loaded with nine rounds of ammunition. Officers also recovered 6.5 grams of crack, a plate with residue, empty ziploc baggies, a digital scale, and $13,253.00.
When Washington was arrested for trafficking narcotics and possessing a firearm in the present case, he was on supervision with the U.S. Parole Commission following a 2012 D.C. Superior Court felony drug trafficking conviction. Washington also had two additional prior drug trafficking convictions and a prior involuntary manslaughter conviction.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case. They also cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle, Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Section, who conducted the underlying investigation, indicted the case, and prosecuted the defendant.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
