A 48-year-old Washington, D.C. man has been indicted on a federal firearms charge after police discovered a loaded handgun in his vehicle earlier this year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced Friday.
Jerone D. Robinson was charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. The indictment is part of the Make D.C. Safe Again initiative, a public safety campaign launched by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. to prioritize federal firearms violations and reduce violent crime across the District.
According to court records, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) were on proactive patrol on January 18, 2024, when they approached a running, unattended vehicle on Benning Road NE. Robinson was observed in the driver’s seat. Officers noticed a firearm on the floorboard in front of him, visible through the windshield.
Robinson was detained without incident. Police recovered a Glock-style semi-automatic handgun, which was loaded. During the vehicle search, officers also found a Styrofoam cup containing a yellow liquid with the odor of alcohol. Robinson admitted the cup contained “a mixed drink.”
Firearm unregistered, defendant prohibited due to prior felony
A background check confirmed that the firearm was unregistered and that Robinson had neither a license to carry nor the legal ability to possess a firearm due to a prior felony conviction. Details of the previous conviction were not specified in the court filing.
Robinson was arrested on the scene and taken to the Fifth District Station for processing. The ATF, along with MPD, investigated the case as part of ongoing efforts to target and detain individuals illegally possessing firearms in the District.
The Make D.C. Safe Again initiative, launched by U.S. Attorney Martin in 2023, aims to apply federal resources to the city’s most serious violent crime threats, with a focus on firearm-related offenses and recidivist offenders.
If convicted, Robinson faces up to 15 years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines for felons in possession of a firearm.
A D.C. man with a felony record is back in court after police spotted a loaded gun in plain view during a routine patrol.