Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

            WASHINGTON – Vankese Russell, 26, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 15 months in federal prison for his illegal possession of a pistol, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Russell pleaded guilty on July 21 before Judge Carl J. Nichols to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition to the 15-month prison sentence, Judge Nichols ordered Russell to serve three years of supervised release. 

            The prosecution was part of the "Make D.C. Safe Again" initiative created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

            Joining in the annoucement were Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            According to court documents, on Jan. 28, 2025, about 6:37 p.m., MPD officers were patrolling Chinatown on foot when they observed a cloud of smoke coming from behind a bus stop on the 600 block of H Street NW. They smelled burning marijuana and walked toward the bus stop, where numerous pedestrians were present.

            The officers observed Russell holding a hand-rolled cigarette. As the officers approached, Russell attempted to extinguish the cigarette and dropped it to the ground. Officers cuffed Russell and told him he was under arrest. The officers searched Russell and recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson SW40VE from his waistband.

            Russell previously pleaded guilty in 2017 to first degree attempted child sex abuse in D.C. Superior Court, was sentenced to four years in prison, and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm.

            This case was investigated by the MPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Tobacco, Washington Field Division. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman.

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Editor's Note:
This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.