Phil Darkwah, a 32-year-old previously convicted felon, was sentenced on May 7 to 24 months in prison for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition during a police foot chase in the Navy Yard neighborhood, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Prosecutors had requested a longer sentence of 37 months, but Judge Loren L. AliKhan ordered Darkwah to serve two years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department attempted a traffic stop on May 6, 2025 after observing a black BMW sedan without a front license plate in the area of I Street SE. Before officers could approach the vehicle, Darkwah exited from the passenger side and fled on foot while clutching his waistband. Surveillance footage later showed him discarding an object consistent with a firearm into a planter near an apartment building entrance on New Jersey Ave. SE. A civilian witness found the weapon and directed police to it; officers recovered a loaded .40 caliber Glock 27 handgun from the planter, with DNA evidence linking Darkwah to its magazine.
Darkwah had previously been convicted of involuntary manslaughter in June 2023 related to a fatal shooting that occurred in Fairfax County, Virginia in 2022. He was released from custody in April 2024 and was on probation at the time of this new offense.
The prosecution was conducted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative as part of President Trump's Executive Order aimed at cracking down on gun violence through prioritizing federal firearms violations and seeking tougher penalties for offenders. The investigation involved both local police and federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Office.
