District Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Gun Possession

WASHINGTON — In a grim turn of events, Mysire Poge, 23, from Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

Poge entered his guilty plea in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before the Honorable Carl Nichols. Sentencing is scheduled for May 16, 2024, with the defendant currently detained since November 9, 2023.

The government’s evidence revealed that on June 16, 2023, law enforcement officers were on the 300 block of 51st Street, NW when Poge was spotted riding by on a moped. As he saw the officers approaching, Poge fled down a walkway on the 200 block of 51st St. NE. He jumped off his moped into an alleyway and continued running towards Division Avenue where he encountered another police officer. Poge darted between houses and jumped over a chain-link fence, discarding a firearm in a backyard before being apprehended by officers. A Glock 27, 40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with a 22-round capacity magazine was recovered.

This case was investigated as part of Project Safe Neighborhood and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar.

Poge’s flight from law enforcement demonstrates the dangerous nature of illegal gun possession in our city, a crime that does not go unpunished. The public should take note of this conviction as a stark reminder of the consequences faced by those who flout firearm laws.