Newly Released Felon Sentenced in Possession of a Glock

            WASHINGTON – Dion Zellars, 37, a previously convicted felon from Capitol Heights, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 30 months in prison for illegally possessing a Glock 29 pistol only one week following his release to a halfway house, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Zellars, aka “Thomas Good,” pleaded guilty on Sept. 30, 2025, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. The case marks his fifth firearms conviction. In addition to the 30-month prison term, Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered Zellars to serve three years of supervised release.

            Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffrey Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            According to court documents, on March 20, 2025, at about 4:25 p.m., four MPD officers were patrolling the 4200 block Southern Avenue SE, when they observed several individuals congregating on the sidewalk. One member of the group—later identified as Zellars—immediately attempted to hide behind a parked silver SUV, which drew the attention of the officers.

            As additional police arrived in an unmarked car, Zellars took off running down the sidewalk while clutching his waistband. Multiple officers chased Zellars. At one point, Zellars held up a black firearm with his left hand. Officers yelled at Zellars to drop the gun.

            As Zellars ran along the side of a house and into its back yard, he dropped the gun. He hopped a fence, ran down an alley, then tripped on the steps leading into another yard. Police caught and handcuffed him. Zellars initially identified himself to officers as Thomas Anthony Good, with Zellars’ same date of birth.

            Officers recovered cell phones and a Glock 29 10mm pistol with a laser attachment, with one round in the chamber, and a 15-round magazine containing 14 rounds.

            Zellars consented to the search of his phone. The phone contained text messages, photos, and videos from the same day documenting the Glock that Zellars dropped. Specifically, Zellars sent a text message to “Boo”  about 1:19 p.m., with multiple photos of the gun, asking “Yu like this joint?” In response, “Boo” warned Zellars not to touch the gun: “asking me about a gun when u just did 10 years ! u shouldn’t even be touching that.”

            Zellars had been released to a halfway house on March 12, 2025—about a week before this incident—and was on supervision for sentences for two different gun convictions.

            Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Washington Field Office, and Interim Chief Jeffrey Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was investigated by Washington Field Division of the ATF and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael L. Barclay for the District of Columbia. 

Still image from body-worn camera showing Zellars (red) fleeing police

Still images of the gun from Zellars’ phone

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