Derrick Howard, 30, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 21 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentencing follows an incident on January 27, 2025, when Howard crashed his unlicensed motor scooter into a marked police cruiser at the intersection of New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road NE.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the sentence. “Howard pleaded guilty on Apr. 11, 2025, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.” In addition to his prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered three years of supervised release.
The case involved cooperation between several agencies. Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) joined in the announcement.
According to court documents, after running a red light and colliding with the police vehicle at approximately 7:15 a.m., Howard was found not wearing a helmet or possessing proper tags for his scooter. Further checks revealed that Howard did not have a license for operating the motorized scooter and that it was not registered.
During his arrest, officers discovered Howard carrying a satchel bag containing a loaded Rohm .38 special caliber revolver with five rounds of ammunition.
Howard’s prior convictions include assault with a dangerous weapon in 2021 and unauthorized use of a vehicle in both 2019 and 2017.
The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.
