Charles E. General, a 29-year-old resident of the District of Columbia and previously convicted felon, was sentenced on Mar. 19 to 24 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a stolen, loaded handgun, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws in the District. General's sentencing follows his guilty plea on Nov. 5, 2025, before Judge Amit P. Mehta to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. In addition to the prison term, Judge Mehta ordered General to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Metropolitan Police Department investigators observed General and others smoking marijuana in a parking lot on Cedar Street SE on Oct. 13, 2023. Officers approached the group after smelling marijuana and informed them that street smoking was not permitted. During a lawful frisk, officers found a loaded Glock 30S .45 caliber pistol in General's coat pocket. The firearm had been reported stolen from a Federal Firearms Licensee in Springfield, Virginia that had been burglarized.
General's prior conviction for carrying a pistol without a license made his possession of the firearm in this case a federal offense under existing law.
The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole prosecuted the case as part of the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Initiative—a law enforcement effort supporting President Trump's Executive Order aimed at reducing gun violence through prioritizing federal firearms violations and seeking tougher penalties.
