Kenneth Deberry, Unlawful Firearms Possession and Assault, Washington District of Columbia 2021

WASHINGTON – A 40-year-old man has been sentenced to 39 months in prison for his role in two violent incidents in the nation’s capital. Kenneth Deberry, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced by the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan to 39 months in prison for his crimes.

Deberry pleaded guilty in October 2021 to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, a federal offense, as well as simple assault, a District of Columbia offense. He was sentenced to 33 months in prison on the weapons charge and another 180 days for assault. Following completion of his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.

The investigation into Deberry’s crimes began on November 14, 2020, when the Metropolitan Police Department responded to reports of assaults taking place during a march in the area of 17th and I Streets NW. Deberry was apprehended by officers and found to be in possession of a loaded .38-caliber revolver. He was barred from possessing a firearm due to previous convictions in the District of Columbia for robbery, sexual abuse of a child, and other felony offenses.

As part of his plea, the government dismissed assault and disorderly conduct charges in this incident. However, Deberry’s troubles continued when, six months later, he got into an argument with a male relative at his home while he was on home detention pending trial. During the argument, he strangled the relative, repeatedly punched him in the face, and later pushed him from behind when the man tried to flee. The man was hospitalized and suffered a collapsed lung, fractured ribs, a broken nose, and other injuries.

Deberry was arrested and has been in custody ever since. In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department Robert J. Contee III commended the work of the officers from the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated both incidents.

Defendant Information: Kenneth Deberry, 40, of Washington, D.C.

Criminal Charges: Unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, simple assault

City and State: Washington, D.C.

Exact Date: November 14, 2020 (crime date)

Sentence or Outcome: 39 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release

Related Federal Cases