Matthew M. Graves U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia
Briyon Shuford, a 30-year-old resident of Washington D.C., received a prison sentence of 161 months for his involvement in a drive-by shooting and drug trafficking. Shuford was part of the "21st and Vietnam" crew, known for distributing large quantities of illegal drugs including crack cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, PCP, and n-n-dimethylpentylone in the area around 21st Street and Maryland Ave. NE.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., alongside FBI Special Agent Sean Ryan from the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, DEA Acting Special Agent Ibrar A. Mian from the Washington Division, Special Agent Troy Springer from the National Capital Region of the U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General, and Chief Pamela Smith from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Shuford pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024, to charges including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and aggravated assault while armed. In addition to his prison term, Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered five years of supervised release.
Court documents revealed that the "21st and Vietnam" crew operated an open-air drug market using an apartment building on I Street NE as their base. The group conducted daily narcotics sales between June 2023 and May 2024 until their arrest.
On April 19, 2024, Shuford met with co-defendant Trevon Palmer before exchanging vehicles for a stolen Infiniti sedan. Armed with firearms, they targeted members of a rival crew at Mt. Olivet Road NE but indiscriminately fired into a parking lot injuring four people.
Shuford's role extended beyond violence; he facilitated significant drug transactions such as driving co-defendant Damien Jenkins during an exchange involving over 80 grams of fentanyl while conducting another sale himself nearby.
Law enforcement arrested Shuford on May 15, 2024; searches uncovered marijuana distribution quantities along with packaging supplies, a Glock firearm, and cash totaling $12,637.
The investigation involved collaboration between the DEA Washington Division Office, FBI Washington Field Office, and MPD with prosecution led by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Solomon Eppel.
In 2023 photos surfaced online showing Shuford carrying firearms.
