WASHINGTON D.C. – Derkwon Johnson, 26, of the District of Columbia, is headed to federal prison for 57 months after being caught with a converted machine gun while already on probation for a string of violent crimes. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the sentence handed down in U.S. District Court today.
Johnson pleaded guilty on January 29, 2025, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. Judge Loren L. AliKhan didn’t just stop at the prison time, tacking on an additional three years of supervised release once Johnson eventually gets out. The case highlights the revolving door of justice for repeat offenders in the nation’s capital.
The bust started with a simple Instagram scroll. Back in December 2023, MPD investigators noticed Johnson brazenly posting pictures of large bags of what appeared to be marijuana, along with a firearm and ammunition. That led to a January 4, 2024, raid on Johnson’s apartment in the 3600 block of Minnesota Ave. SE, executed by the Sixth District Crime Suppression Team.
Officers found Johnson crammed into a second bedroom with his half-sister and her four young children. But the real heat was in the first bedroom. There, on top of a bedside table, lay a loaded .40 caliber Glock 23 pistol. It wasn’t just any Glock – it was rigged with a machine gun conversion device and packed with 28 rounds. The search didn’t stop there. Police also seized a loaded magazine, a laser attachment, more ammunition, 335 grams of marijuana, 40 oxycodone pills, a scale, and nearly $5,000 in cash.
Investigators dug deeper into Johnson’s social media, uncovering a trove of chats, videos, and messages showing him actively advertising and arranging the sale of marijuana and pills between October 4, 2023, and the day of the raid. The timing couldn’t have been worse; Johnson was already on probation for 2018 convictions including conspiracy to commit robbery, two counts of armed robbery, two counts of possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, PCP distribution, and assault with a dangerous weapon – a clear pattern of escalating criminal behavior.
The investigation was a joint effort between the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI Washington Field Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin prosecuted the case. This case is 24cr31. The streets of D.C. are a little safer, but for how long remains to be seen.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime|Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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