Jason Jerome Bell, a 21-year-old resident of the District of Columbia, has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton after Bell pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a machine gun and carrying a pistol without a license.
The incident occurred on October 11, 2024, when Bell brandished a fully loaded machine gun at a passing car near an elementary school in Anacostia. A U.S. Park Police investigator, conducting surveillance due to reports of Bell flashing firearms, witnessed and recorded the event.
Bell was arrested by U.S. Park Police officers who recovered a Glock 30 gen 4 pistol equipped with a device that converted it into a fully automatic weapon. The firearm had 26 rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Jessica M.E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police announced the sentencing. In addition to his prison term, Bell will serve three years of supervised release.
The government had requested an upward variant sentence of 36 months due to the severity of Bell's actions but ultimately agreed with the court's decision.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Park Police with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas G. Strong and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren R. Randell.
