Dwayne Taylor, 49, a resident of Washington, D.C. and previously convicted of murder, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for carrying a loaded revolver into the Minnesota-Benning Government Center, which is designated as a gun-free zone. The sentencing took place in U.S. District Court and was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Taylor pleaded guilty on September 2, 2025, before Judge Jia M. Cobb to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to his prison sentence, Taylor will serve three years of supervised release following his incarceration.
The case involved cooperation between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Office led by Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood, and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), represented by Interim Chief Jeffrey Carroll.
According to court documents, on June 30, 2025, an MPD officer responded to the government center after being alerted by security that Taylor had a gun in his bag. When questioned by police about the situation, Taylor stated: “My weapon in my backpack.” He further explained he did not have a permit with him or at all: “No it’s at home, I don’t got none of my stuff with me . . . I forgot when I was rushing out the door this morning. I forgot. I just put it in my bag and ran out the door.” When asked if he was licensed to carry a firearm he replied: “No, I’m not licensed to carry.” Officers then detained Taylor and found a Hopkins & Allen 36 .38 Special Revolver loaded with five rounds in his backpack.
Taylor has prior felony convictions that prohibit him from possessing firearms. In 1995 he was convicted in D.C. Superior Court for second degree murder while armed; armed robbery; and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence related to the execution-style killing of cab driver Keith Moore in 1994. He served 27 years after receiving a sentence of 15-years-to-life.
The investigation was conducted by MPD and ATF’s Washington Field Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Liss for the District of Columbia.
