Philadelphia Man Convicted at Trial for Illegal Possession of a Firearm as a Felon

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Yasheam Washington, 31, of Philadelphia, PA was convicted today at trial for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The evidence at trial showed that in November 2018, while police were patrolling the 1300 block of Chew Avenue in Philadelphia, they observed the defendant sleeping behind the wheel of a running car that was illegally parked. The officers became increasingly concerned for the defendant’s safety and pulled him out of the car, at which point they observed a firearm right underneath him, which they soon learned was loaded with live ammunition. As a previously convicted felon, Washington was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

“This is the second trial conviction secured by my Office this week of a felon illegally possessing a firearm in Philadelphia,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “As I have said many times, firearms in the hands of convicted felons undeniably pose a serious threat to public safety. Unlike the District Attorney, my Office and I treat illegal gun possession cases like the serious crimes that they are. That is what is needed in order to combat the City’s epidemic of homicides and shootings. The District Attorney is enabling this epidemic in many ways, not the least of which by routing illegal gun possession cases into diversionary programs designed for low-level, non-violent offenders -- not dangerous criminals and potential murderers.”

“ATF’s top priority is combating violent crime; one of the ways we accomplish that mission is by keeping firearms out of the hands of violent offenders,” said Donald Robinson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “This conviction is a perfect example of the collaborative effort between ATF and our partners at the Philadelphia Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office in targeting violent offenders and protecting our communities.”

“The arrest and successful prosecution of Yasheam Washington, a recidivist offender, evidences the value of sustained collaboration between law enforcement partner agencies,” said Acting Philadelphia Police Commissioner Christine Coulter. “We anticipate that his conviction and attendant sentence will have an appreciable impact on the safety of the community we serve.”

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with substantial assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erica Kivitz, Eric Henson, and Daniel Velez.