Cevin Andre Belton, a 40-year-old resident of the District of Columbia with a prior felony conviction, has been sentenced to 45 months in federal prison for trafficking crack cocaine and illegally possessing a semi-automatic pistol. The sentence was handed down by Judge Trevor N. McFadden in U.S. District Court.
Belton pleaded guilty on September 5 to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the prison term, he will serve three years of supervised release.
The sentencing announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, along with ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood from the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to court documents, on March 22 at approximately 1:25 p.m., MPD officers observed Belton standing in an alleyway behind the 4000 block of 9th Street. When Belton noticed the police patrol car, he began walking toward a nearby building entrance. Officers exited their vehicle for a foot patrol, prompting Belton to run away while holding his front waistband.
During the pursuit, Belton pulled out a black firearm from his waistband and threw it onto grass as he fled. Officers apprehended him near the intersection of 9th and Bellevue Streets, Southeast. Investigators recovered a Springfield Armory Hellcat 9mm semi-automatic pistol along his escape route.
A search revealed that Belton was carrying 15.5 grams of crack cocaine and $157 in cash. He later admitted his intention to distribute the drugs.
Belton’s criminal record includes a previous conviction for robbery with a dangerous weapon in Prince George’s County, for which he served eight years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and ATF, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson.
"This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson."
