An indictment was revealed in the District of Columbia, charging three individuals with conspiracy to traffic firearms from Virginia. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Acting Director Daniel Driscoll of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
The accused are Moniqua Jefferson, 31, Valentino Hall, 28, both from Richmond, Virginia, and Derrick Boyd Jr., 32, from Capitol Heights, Maryland. They were arrested at their residences and appeared in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh. The judge ordered them to be held until a detention hearing on July 17. This case is part of the Make D.C. Safe Again initiative.
The indictment alleges that starting in September 2022 through September 2024, Jefferson and Hall purchased firearms from licensed retailers in Richmond for resale to customers prohibited by law from owning guns. These transactions allegedly involved Boyd as well.
On May 31 and June 1, 2024, Hall and Jefferson reportedly coordinated with a co-conspirator to purchase a firearm for someone legally barred from possessing it. On June 6 of the same year, Jefferson allegedly bought another firearm that was later found with an underage individual in the District.
Further allegations include Boyd communicating with Hall and Jefferson between August 14-15 to buy a Ruger firearm. Following this communication on August 16th, Boyd paid Jefferson more than the firearm's cost after they purchased it together.
On September 11-12, Jefferson and Hall returned to Richmond with another co-conspirator to buy two identical firearms despite legal prohibitions against one member's possession of firearms.
In total, over 22 firearms were allegedly purchased by Hall and Jefferson between August 2022 and May 2025; five were recovered by law enforcement from individuals not legally permitted to carry them.
The prosecution falls under Make D.C. Safe Again—a law enforcement initiative supporting President Trump's Executive Order aimed at reducing gun violence through stricter penalties for federal firearms violations.
It is important to note that charges remain allegations until proven beyond reasonable doubt in court; defendants are presumed innocent until then. The maximum penalty for conspiracy is set at fifteen years according to statutory guidelines but actual sentences will be determined based on various factors if convictions occur.
This investigation is led by ATF’s Washington Field Division while being prosecuted by Federal Major Crimes Section within U.S Attorney’s Office for District Of Columbia.
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