WASHINGTON, D.C. – Joseph Thompson, a 37-year-old convicted felon from Oxon Hill, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Thompson entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta, who scheduled sentencing for November 18, 2026.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred on March 7, 2025, when members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Robbery Suppression Unit were conducting patrols in the 4600 block of Livingston Road SE. Officers observed Thompson standing outside the South Capitol Liquor Store. Upon noticing the police, Thompson abruptly ended a conversation and entered the store, raising the officers’ suspicions.
As the officers approached, they spotted a heavy, rectangular object in Thompson’s jacket pocket. When an officer commented on the weight of the object, Thompson fled the scene. During the chase, he discarded a firearm onto the street. Law enforcement recovered a loaded .45-caliber pistol, which had one round in the chamber and 13 additional rounds in the magazine. Thompson did not possess a concealed carry permit, and the firearm was not registered in the District of Columbia.
This unlawful possession was particularly significant due to Thompson’s prior felony conviction in 2017 in Arlington County, Virginia, which prohibited him from owning any firearms. The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Office, and was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.
The Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative aligns with efforts to combat gun violence in the district, supporting federal actions to enforce stricter penalties and prioritize firearms violations. As the city continues to address public safety concerns, this case highlights ongoing efforts to ensure that illegal firearms do not contribute to crime in Washington, D.C.
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