Damion Alexander Peddie, a 54-year-old Jamaican citizen, was sentenced on Apr. 1 to 122 months in federal prison for possessing weapons and narcotics and illegally re-entering the United States, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about repeat offenders returning to the country after deportation and engaging in criminal activity. Authorities say such cases pose risks to community safety.
Peddie pleaded guilty on Dec. 19, 2025, before Judge Timothy J. Kelly to charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, alien in possession of a firearm, and unlawful re-entry of a previously removed alien. In addition to his prison sentence, he will serve three years of supervised release and must comply with any deportation order issued by the court.
"Damion Peddie showed a complete disregard for our laws and our borders—deported five times, yet he chose to come back and arm himself with a cache of weapons and narcotics. A previously convicted drug trafficker, he continued to put American communities at risk," said U.S. Attorney Pirro. "This career criminal illegal alien is exactly the type of offender the Trump administration is working tirelessly to remove from our country—after serving his sentence, he will be deported."
According to court documents cited in the announcement, FBI agents began investigating a drug trafficking conspiracy centered around Knox Place SE during summer 2024. Law enforcement identified an alleged fentanyl and PCP trafficker operating out of that area; subsequent investigation revealed that Peddie was conspiring with members of this group in distributing fentanyl among other drugs.
On August 26, 2025, FBI agents executed search warrants as part of their investigation into this trafficking organization. They found Peddie inside a residence on Taylor Street NW along with multiple firearms—including two ghost guns—and quantities of marijuana, fentanyl, crack cocaine as well as ammunition magazines.
This marks Peddie's fifth federal conviction for unlawful re-entry following previous convictions in Maryland (1996) and Washington D.C (2004; October 2010; October 2013). The case was prosecuted under the Homeland Security Task Force network established by President Trump’s Executive Order titled Protecting the American People Against Invasion.
The investigation involved cooperation between several agencies including the FBI Washington Field Office—with assistance from DEA Washington—and Metropolitan Police Department personnel.
