Matthew M. Graves U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia
Damian Johnson, a 24-year-old resident of Washington D.C., has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for illegal possession of a Glock 27 and 61 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition. The sentencing took place in U.S. District Court while Johnson was already on supervised release. He had posted photos on Instagram showing himself with firearms, including images where he wore an ankle monitor.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. from the District of Columbia and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Johnson, also known as "Damien Johnson," entered a guilty plea on September 11, 2024, for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. His federal sentence will run consecutively to a previous 16-month sentence from Superior Court in October 2022 for carrying a pistol without a license. Additionally, U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb ordered three years of supervised release.
Court documents reveal that on December 26, 2023, MPD's Robbery Suppression Unit executed a search warrant at Johnson’s residence on Raleigh Street, SE. Officers observed him attempting to open a rear window and discard an object behind a bed upon their entry. They discovered the Glock handgun behind the bed and found additional ammunition during their search.
Before executing the search warrant, officers had reviewed Johnson’s Instagram account where he showcased eight different firearms inside his apartment. One photo showed him wearing his court-ordered ankle GPS device while holding one of the handguns.
A federal Grand Jury indicted Johnson on January 17, 2024, leading to his arrest by U.S. Marshals on January 23 in Washington D.C.
The case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory Cole for the District of Columbia.
