An indictment was unsealed in federal court in Washington D.C., charging Kelon Von Dukes, 20, with being a convicted felon in illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr., Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Court documents state that on March 1, 2025, at 5:25 p.m., members of the MPD’s Seventh District Special Missions Unit were patrolling in full uniform near 4700 South Capitol Street SE. They observed a man standing near a gas station smoking what appeared to be a marijuana cigarette. Upon noticing the officers, the man allegedly fled and discarded both the cigarette and a black bag.
Officers pursued and apprehended him on the 400 block of Southern Avenue. During a pat-down search, an officer felt a solid L-shaped object in his left front pocket, which was alleged to be a loaded semi-automatic pistol reported stolen.
The individual was identified as Kelon Von Dukes, who has two prior felony convictions for carrying a pistol without a license and was on supervised probation at the time of his arrest on March 1.
On March 11, Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey ordered Dukes to be detained pending trial.
The case is under investigation by the MPD and ATF and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle McWaters. It is part of "Make D.C. Safe Again," a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin to address gun violence in Washington D.C.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
