Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Defendant Charged as Part of Make D.C. Safe Again Initiative
WASHINGTON – Vankese Russell, 26, a resident of the District of Columbia, has been indicted on a federal firearms charge as part of the “Make D.C. Safe Again” initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
Russell is charged in an indictment in federal court with unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
According to court documents, MPD officers from the First District Crime Suppression Team arrested a man in the Chinatown area on Jan. 28, 2025, following the public consumption of marijuana and subsequent discovery of an illegal firearm.
Court documents say that while on foot patrol near 7th and H Streets NW, officers observed smoke and detected the odor of burning marijuana behind a Metrobus stop. The individual, later identified as Vankese Russell, attempted to extinguish and discard a hand-rolled cigarette upon noticing the officers.
During a search incident to arrest, officers recovered a loaded .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun from Russell’s waistband. Russell was convicted of a felony in 2018, and thus, he was not permitted to possess the firearm.
This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman is prosecuting this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.ocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.