⏱ 2 min read
Kelvin Leon, a 27-year-old DC resident, fired a machine gun out of his apartment window in Southeast Washington on July 24, 2025, following an argument with two men over scooters. The incident led to a swift response from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Violent Crime Suppression Division, who executed a search warrant and recovered a privately manufactured pistol fitted with a device that allowed it to fire continuously with a single pull of the trigger. Leon had purchased the firearm about three weeks earlier and the conversion device about a week after that, and learned to install it from online videos.
Leon pleaded guilty on March 26, 2026, to one count of possession of a machine gun and one count of endangerment with a firearm. He was sentenced to 22 months in prison, and will be deported to Venezuela after serving his sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Office. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.
The case highlights the dangers of illegal firearm possession and the importance of community tipsters in reporting suspicious activity. The sentence handed down to Leon serves as a warning to those who would engage in such reckless and violent behavior.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Violent Crime
- Defendant: District of Columbia
- Location: DC
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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