District Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a Machine Gun Inside a Charter High School

WASHINGTON – James Adrian Brewer, 19, a resident of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to unlawful possession of a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

Judge Jia M. Cobb scheduled sentencing for May 28, 2026. 

According to court documents, Brewer was attending the Goodwill Excel Center Adult Charter School in Northwest Washington on Sept. 3, 2025, when he was observed by a school administrator to have what appeared to be a firearm in his waistband. When confronted, Brewer surrendered the pistol to the administrator, who then turned it over to Metropolitan Police Department officers.   

The firearm was later determined to be a Glock 19, 9mm pistol that previously had been reported stolen. The Glock was loaded with 23 rounds of ammunition. The gun was fitted with a switch-style machine gun conversion device (MCD) which allowed it to function as a fully automatic weapon.  

As part of his plea, Brewer admitted to possessing the handgun at the Goodwill Excel Center Adult Charter School and further admitted to knowing that it was fitted with an MCD that converted the pistol into a machine gun.   

This case was investigated by the MPD with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson. 

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