Convicted Felon Sentenced to 24 Months for Possession of a Glock Semiautomatic Pistol

           WASHINGTON – Tyrell Anthony West, 30, a previously convicted felon and resident of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 24 months in prison in connection with being in possession of a loaded Glock semiautomatic pistol when police encountered him with a stolen Mercedes.

           The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives - Washington Division, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

           West pleaded guilty on Feb. 13, 2025, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered West to serve three years of supervised release. 

           According to court documents, on Feb. 26, 2024, about 7:30 p.m., the officers with the MPD’s Robbery Suppression Unit were travelling down the 2900 block of Knox Place, SE, in unmarked vehicles. An officer noticed a parked silver Mercedes Benz C300 park and watched as West quickly closed the car door and crossed the street at a brisk pace to where a group was congregated. 

           Officers ran the Mercedes’ plate number and learned it was not registered in the database. They approached the vehicle to discover that its VIN number was covered. 

           An officer uncovered the VIN. Another asked West if the car's registration was in the glove compartment. West opened the glove compartment and then opened the vehicle’s center console. One of the officers immediately spotted a firearm. Three seconds later, the officer checking the VIN number learned the Mercedes had been reported stolen from a car dealership in Howard County, Maryland. 

           From the center console, MPD officers recovered a black Glock 30. .45 caliber semi-automatic firearm loaded and ready to fire with one round of ammunition in the chamber and 13 additional rounds in the magazine. DNA evidence later linked West to the firearm.

           Officers also recovered three plastic bags containing a white rock substance with a combined weight of 82.79 grams, and a black digital scale with white residue. Later testing by the DEA determined the substance was N, Ndimethylpentalone, an illegal synthetic controlled-substance otherwise known as 'boot." Officers also recovered 28 suspected suboxone strips from the trunk of the Mercedes. 

           West has a previous conviction for carrying a pistol without a license. On April 22, 2022, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, which was suspended. On Feb. 9, 2023, he was resentenced to nine months in prison. 

           This case was investigated by the FBI and the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Reeder-Ricchetti, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Omeed Ali Assefi, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Svetoslavov.

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