Ronald Aiken, a 48-year-old resident of the District of Columbia, has been indicted on a federal firearms charge. The indictment was unsealed in U.S. District Court as part of the "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful" initiative.
The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Aiken faces one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. According to court documents, on June 10, 2025, officers from MPD’s Fifth District Crime Suppression Team were patrolling after two shootings occurred in the area. They noticed a gray Audi sedan without a front registration plate driving against traffic on a one-way street on the 1700 block of D Street NE.
After stopping the vehicle on Gales Street NE, officers identified Ronald Aiken as the driver. Through the car window, they saw an open can of beer in an unzipped backpack located on the rear passenger seat. Upon searching the backpack, they found live ammunition. Further inspection revealed a black Taurus G3 9x19 pistol behind the rear driver-side seat with one round in its chamber and three additional rounds in its magazine.
Due to previous felony convictions—including a 2024 conviction for possession/transportation of a firearm by a convicted felon in Arlington County—Aiken is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The case is under investigation by both ATF Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department with prosecution led by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Sussler and Brendan Horan.
It should be noted that an indictment is merely an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.
