It was a gritty tale of maternal betrayal in the streets of Fresno as 45-year-old Jawana Washington faced justice for arming her son, Taylor Washington, a known gang member and convicted felon. On Wednesday, after a swift one-day trial, U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd found Washington guilty of aiding and abetting her son’s illegal possession of a firearm, and disposing of a firearm to a felon.
According to the grim details of the case, Washington, of Fresno, knowingly handed over her Springfield Armory XD-9 handgun to Taylor on March 25, 2022. The mother cautioned her son not to get ‘crazy,’ instructing him to use his own ammunition and avoid sending her to jail. Yet minutes later, agents spotted Taylor leaving his mother’s apartment complex in a vehicle.
In a subsequent traffic stop, officers found the firearm, registered to Washington, in the car’s center console. After the stop, Washington engaged in incriminating exchanges with others on the text thread, admitting her son had her gun and urging the deletion of incriminating messages.
Scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 15, 2025, Washington could face up to 10 years in prison, though the actual sentence will be determined by Judge Drozd after considering federal Sentencing Guidelines and other applicable factors. Taylor Washington, a co-defendant, has already been sentenced to imprisonment for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
This case is a testament to the collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, ATF, Fresno Police Department, MAGEC, California Department of Justice Special Operations Unit, and others. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Antonio J. Pataca are leading the prosecution.
The trial’s swift resolution and the looming sentence for Washington send a stark message about the consequences of facilitating illegal activities among gang members. The community awaits the final outcome of this hard-hitting case.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Weapons|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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