Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
A Fresno woman has been convicted in federal court for providing a firearm to her son, who is a convicted felon and documented gang member. Jawana Washington, 45, was found guilty by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd after a one-day trial of aiding and abetting a felon’s possession of a firearm and disposing of a firearm to a felon.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that on March 25, 2022, Jawana Washington knowingly lent her firearm to her son, Taylor Washington. Before handing over the weapon, she warned him not to do anything “crazy,” told him to use his own ammunition, and asked him not to get her sent to jail. Shortly after this exchange, law enforcement observed Taylor Washington meeting with his mother at her apartment complex before leaving in a vehicle. Officers later stopped the car and recovered a Springfield Armory XD-9 handgun registered to Jawana Washington from the center console.
After the traffic stop, communications between Jawana Washington and others indicated she knew Taylor had her gun and encouraged deletion of incriminating text messages.
Jawana Washington is scheduled for sentencing on December 15, 2025. She faces up to ten years in prison; however, the actual sentence will be determined by the court based on statutory factors and federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Taylor Washington was separately convicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm and sentenced to prison.
The investigation involved multiple agencies: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fresno Police Department, Fresno-area Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), California Department of Justice Special Operations Unit, California Department of Justice Human Trafficking / Sexual Predator Apprehension Team, California Highway Patrol, Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Kings County Sheriff’s Office, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Antonio J. Pataca.
“On Wednesday, after a one-day trial, U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd found Jawana Washington, 45, of Fresno, guilty of aiding and abetting a felon’s possession of a firearm as well as disposing of a firearm to a felon,” U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
