Trevon Palmer, 30, has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for his involvement in operating an open-air drug market and committing aggravated assault while armed. The sentencing took place in U.S. District Court, where Judge Beryl A. Howell also ordered Palmer to serve five years of supervised release following his prison term.
Palmer was identified as a key member of the “21st and Vietnam” crew, a group known for distributing narcotics in Northeast Washington, D.C. He pleaded guilty on September 12, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute at least 400 grams of fentanyl and to aggravated assault while armed.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the sentence alongside officials from several agencies involved in the investigation: FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox (Washington Field Office), DEA Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis (Washington Division), and Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela A. Smith.
According to court documents, the “21st & Vietnam” crew operated primarily near the intersection of 21st Street and Maryland Avenue NE and used an apartment building on I Street as their base. The group distributed various drugs including crack cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, PCP, and n-n-dimethylpentylone.
Between late November 2023 and March 2024, Palmer made twelve sales totaling about 300 grams of fentanyl to undercover agents. He also sold crack cocaine and methamphetamine during this period.
On April 19, 2024, Palmer and co-defendant Briyon Shuford targeted members of a rival crew by driving a stolen car along Mt. Olivet Road NE during midday hours and shooting four people near a convenience store. Shuford received a sentence of over thirteen years for his role in both drug conspiracy and the drive-by shooting.
The investigation involved collaboration among multiple agencies: the Violent Crime Investigations Team of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Violent Crime Suppression Division; FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross-Border Task Force; DEA Washington Division; District of Columbia National Guard Counter Drug Program; and Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Solomon Eppel prosecuted the case from the Violent Crime Reduction and Narcotics Trafficking Section.
