Antjoun Riddick, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Maryland 2023

GREENBELT, MD – Antjoun Riddick, 45, of Accokeek, Maryland, is looking at a decade behind bars after a federal jury convicted him of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The conviction comes as Riddick was already on probation for a 2015 second-degree murder conviction in Prince George’s County, raising questions about supervision and a revolving door of justice.

The bust went down January 21, 2022, when U.S. Marshals were surveilling Riddick’s Accokeek residence, attempting to serve an outstanding warrant issued by a Washington D.C. court. According to trial testimony, deputies moved in as Riddick exited and approached his vehicle. Deputies noted Riddick quickly raised his left hand, but his right hand lingered suspiciously near his waistband before he was cuffed. A search revealed a loaded 9mm pistol – 18 rounds in the magazine, one chambered and ready to fire.

Riddick didn’t deny owning the weapon, but acknowledged he was legally barred from possessing it. Federal law prohibits convicted felons from owning firearms or ammunition, a rule Riddick apparently ignored while serving probation for a brutal killing. The details of the 2015 murder remain sealed, but it’s clear Riddick has a history of violent crime and disregard for the law.

The case was a joint effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division and the U.S. Marshals Service. ATF Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby and U.S. Marshal Robert Anthony Dixon both praised their teams for bringing Riddick to justice. U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron, lauded the work as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” initiative, a program that consistently fails to address the root causes of gun violence.

Riddick now faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for November 3 at 2:30 p.m. Whether that’s enough to keep this repeat offender off the streets remains to be seen. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy F. Hagan and Joshua A. Rosenthal are prosecuting the case, with support from paralegal specialists Andrew Branigan, Derek Harwerth and Mark Phares.

Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as they become available. This conviction, while a win for law enforcement, is just a temporary fix in a system plagued by revolving doors and a failure to address the underlying issues that drive violent crime in communities like Accokeek.

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