Brandon Smith, a 34-year-old resident of the District of Columbia and previously convicted felon, was sentenced on April 30 in U.S. District Court to 87 months in prison for conspiring to traffic at least nine firearms over six months, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address illegal gun trafficking and its impact on community safety. Prosecutors said Smith continued his activities even after learning that one buyer intended to use the weapons for violence.
"Brandon Smith was already on supervised probation for a violent felony when he chose to traffic firearms, and he continued even after being told the buyer intended to use them for violence," said U.S. Attorney Pirro. "Over the course of six months, he arranged the sale of at least nine guns—including one with an obliterated serial number—to a prohibited individual. This was not a momentary lapse in judgment, but a sustained and deliberate effort to arm someone who could not legally possess firearms. My office remains committed to holding accountable those who endanger our communities by trafficking illegal guns."
Smith pleaded guilty on Jan. 9 before Judge Howell to conspiracy to commit trafficking in firearms. In addition to his prison sentence, Judge Howell ordered three years of supervised release; prosecutors had requested a longer term of 108 months.
Court documents show that beginning in November 2023, federal investigators opened their case after receiving information from a confidential source about Smith's activities while he was still under supervised probation from an earlier violent felony conviction. Over six transactions between Nov. 30, 2023 and May 30, 2024, Smith sold or arranged sales totaling nine firearms—sometimes selling his own carry weapon when suppliers failed—and replaced it afterward.
In early January 2024, during discussions about another sale, the buyer informed Smith that he needed weapons because he was "at war" following his cousin's death; despite this statement and knowing both parties were under criminal justice supervision at the time, Smith proceeded with the transaction.
Smith’s prior convictions include Simple Assault (2011), Attempted Robbery (2013), and Robbery with Possession of a Firearm during a Crime of Violence (2016). He was serving probation from his most recent conviction while engaging in these firearm sales.
The investigation involved both the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department officers who found Smith armed during an October traffic stop last year.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan M. Horan prosecuted the case.
