Duarte Santos, a 25-year-old resident of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for his involvement in a shooting at a bar and restaurant on July 5, 2024. The sentencing took place on August 15, 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Santos will also face five years of supervised release following his prison term.
Santos pleaded guilty on April 24, 2025, to several charges including aggravated assault while armed, possession of a firearm during violence, assault with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a pistol without a license outside of home or business. The sentence was handed down by Judge Brandt Rainey.
According to evidence presented by the government, the incident began around 11:30 p.m. when Santos engaged in an argument with two individuals inside the establishment at 3521 14th St NW. Surveillance footage showed Santos sitting at the bar before moving upstairs and getting into a verbal exchange that escalated into a physical altercation. During this fight, he retrieved a handgun from his waistband and fired one shot after being threatened with police intervention by an employee.
Santos initially left but returned minutes later and fired additional shots at the two men involved in the dispute as well as at the bar employee who had asked him to leave. One victim was wounded and later transported to a hospital.
Police arrested Santos on July 5, 2024; he has remained in custody since then.
Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department joined U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro in announcing the sentence.
"In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Pericak Ginsburg and Anthony Cocuzza, who prosecuted the case."
