Dewayne Keith Miles, a 29-year-old resident of the District of Columbia and convicted felon, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for firing a gun into the air multiple times in a residential neighborhood. The sentencing took place in U.S. District Court and was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Miles pleaded guilty on June 30 to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to his prison sentence, Judge John D. Bates ordered that Miles serve three years of supervised release.
"This prosecution comes under the auspices of Make D.C. Safe Again, a program that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators," according to the statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Court documents state that on March 15, 2025, at approximately 3:30 p.m., officers from the Metropolitan Police Department were investigating a robbery on the 4400 block of E Street, SE when they heard several gunshots nearby. Officers then located Miles on the 4600 block of Benning Road, SE holding a pistol above his head and firing it into the air.
After firing shots, Miles fled into a nearby building. Officers recovered thirteen cartridge casings from the street and found a Smith & Wesson SD9 pistol near the curb close to where the casings were located. A records check revealed that this handgun had been reported stolen.
Miles later surrendered and was transported by police to the Sixth District station. During a search at the cell block, police found he had a live round of 9mm ammunition in his pocket which matched ammunition found at the scene.
The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Washington Field Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole prosecuted the case.
