Delonta Phillips, 28, of Washington, D.C., is headed back behind bars after pleading guilty to federal firearm and drug charges stemming from a high-speed police pursuit that ended in a wooded ravine in Suitland, Maryland. The October 2017 chase, which began in Southeast D.C., led authorities to a loaded 9mm Glock and nearly a gallon of marijuana stashed in a backpack inside the car he fled in.
Phillips entered his guilty plea in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before Senior Judge Thomas F. Hogan. He admitted to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The plea agreement calls for a mandatory five-year prison sentence followed by five years of supervised release, pending court approval. Sentencing is scheduled for May 30, 2018.
According to federal prosecutors, ATF agents and an MPD Task Force Officer were conducting surveillance in the 3400 block of 24th Street SE on October 11, 2017, when they spotted Phillips, who was wanted on outstanding warrants. When confronted, Phillips bolted, jumped into a burgundy Cadillac DeVille, and sped off. Law enforcement gave chase, tracking the vehicle as it weaved through Southern Avenue SE, Naylor Road, and Suitland Parkway before exiting onto Regency Parkway.
After abandoning the car, Phillips fled on foot into a wooded ravine. An ATF agent pursued while others secured the vehicle. Inside, on the back seat’s floor, agents found a backpack containing a Glock 26 9mm handgun with an extended magazine holding 28 rounds. Also inside: a jar and a full gallon-sized Ziploc bag packed with marijuana. The firearm had been reported stolen to Anne Arundel County, Maryland, police.
Approximately one hour after the pursuit began, officers found Phillips hiding beneath a ledge in the ravine, partially submerged in water. He was arrested without further incident. At the time of the chase, Phillips was already under court supervision for a prior firearms conviction in D.C. Superior Court—putting him at risk of having that supervised release formally revoked.
U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, ATF Special Agent in Charge Thomas L. Chittum III, and MPD Chief Peter Newsham praised the joint efforts of ATF and MPD in apprehending Phillips. They also recognized Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli and Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle and Teesha Tobias from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work on the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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