District Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Firearms Possession and Drug Trafficking Offenses

            WASHINGTON - Michael Stewart, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year (felony) and one count of possession with intent to distribute N, N-Dimethylpentylone (felony), announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

            Stewart was sentenced to 46 months of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release, by U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan. Stewart pled guilty to the offense on October 25, 2023. He has been detained since January 8, 2023.

            According to the government’s evidence, on November 6, 2022 at approximately 4:30 p.m. officers responded to the Beacon Hotel located at 1615 Rhode Island Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C. After placing Stewart under arrest, officers searched his hotel room and found a privately manufactured firearm (also known as a ghost gun) that did not have a serial number, underneath the bed. The firearm had one 9-millimeter round in the chamber and an additional 24 rounds in an extended magazine capable of holding 31 rounds. DNA testing on this firearm tied Stewart to the firearm. Officers also recovered Stewart’s book bag, which contained a scale, $2,232 in small denomination bills, and 105.13 grams of N-Ethylpentylone. (N- Ethylpentylone is a Schedule 1 controlled substance and is a synthetic cathinone.) N-Ethylpentylone is often referred to as “boot” or   “molly.”  During a search of Stewart at the courthouse by the U.S. Marshals, law enforcement recovered a yellow package from his person that contained 66.52 grams of N, N- Dimethylpentylone. (N, N-Dimethylpentylone is an isomer of N-Ethylpentylone. It is also a synthetic cathinone. It is also often referred to as “boot” or “molly.”).

            On December 7, 2022, officers were on routine patrol in the area of 5^th Street and I Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C. Officers arrested Stewart for publicly consuming marijuana. Officers recovered the following items from Stewart: a sandwich-sized bag containing 70.15 grams of N, N-Dimethylpentylone, a black digital scale, $191 in U.S. currency, a folded dollar bill with a white powdery substance inside, approximately.5 grams of fentanyl (including two light blue round tablets with an M-30 imprint on it and a small zip lock baggie of a light blue powder substance), and another clear plastic bag that contained 87.99 grams of N, N- Dimethylpentylone.

            On January 8, 2023, at approximately 2:35 a.m. officers observed Stewart in the area of 7^th Street and T Street, Northwest. After officers approached him, Stewart ran diagonally through an intersection with oncoming traffic from at least one direction. Stewart was subsequently apprehended and officers recovered a black in color Ruger SR9C firearm from his person. The firearm was loaded with one round in the chamber and fifteen rounds in the magazine. The extended magazine in the firearm had a total capacity of 17 rounds. A records check revealed that the firearm was stolen from Atlanta, Georgia. Officers also recovered two folded $1 bills with white power inside, a scale, $435 in small denomination bills, and 61.8 grams of N, N-Dimethylpentylone.

            In announcing today’s sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Kailimai, and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from Project Safe Neighborhoods from both the Metropolitan Police Department  and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including paralegal Specialist Karla Nunez.

            The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shehzad Akhtar and former Special Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Renaud.  Chief of Federal Major Crimes Melissa Jackson provided valuable assistance.