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D.C. Man Admits to Packing Heat Despite Criminal Record
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Kenneth Hart, 25, of Washington, D.C., has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, federal prosecutors announced Friday. Hart’s illegal possession came to light on November 1, 2023, and he has remained detained ever since.
According to court documents, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were surveilling the area of Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. and Mellon Street, Southeast, when they observed Hart exiting a restaurant. As Hart walked towards Malcolm X Ave., he ducked into a liquor store.
Inside the store, law enforcement followed Hart and found him at the rear, with the door to a refrigerator open. Witnesses and officers observed Hart actively placing a loaded Springfield Armory XDS-9 handgun inside the refrigerator. The 9mm firearm contained one round in the chamber and six bullets in the magazine. Hart was immediately arrested.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhood, a collaborative effort between federal and local law enforcement aimed at reducing gun violence. The government’s evidence clearly demonstrates Hart’s disregard for the law, as he knowingly possessed a firearm despite a prior conviction punishable by more than one year in prison – a clear legal prohibition.
U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden has scheduled Hart’s sentencing for May 17, 2024. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, led by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, is prosecuting the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar leading the charge. Chief Pamela Smith of the MPD and ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai also commented on the successful collaboration that led to the guilty plea.
Hart now faces the consequences of his actions, and this conviction serves as a warning to others who attempt to illegally possess firearms in the nation’s capital. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing as it unfolds.
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Press Release
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