The U.S. Attorney's Office has brought federal firearms charges against 24 individuals during the month of April, more than doubling the usual monthly average since January 2021. This initiative forms part of the Make D.C. Safe Again program, bringing the total number of firearms prosecutions to 42 since the initiative began, as announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr.
The 24 defendants have been charged with federal firearms offenses, representing the highest number of cases adopted since before January 2021. These efforts have increased the number of offenders removed from the streets. Notable cases include:
1. A Baltimore man indicted on a federal gun charge after a foot chase in Southeast.
2. An arrest in Chinatown leading to an illegal firearm charge.
3. A defendant formerly charged with illegal gun possession in Superior Court now faces a federal firearm charge.
4. A district man indicted for illegal firearm possession following arrest in Northeast D.C.
5. A felon charged with firearm possession after an arrest in Southeast.
The Make D.C. Safe Again initiative aims to support President Trump's Executive Order to Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful by reducing gun violence, prioritizing federal firearms violations, increasing penalties for offenses, and seeking detention for violators. Investigations are being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, alongside the Metropolitan Police Department.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
