Convicted felon sentenced in case involving a loaded pistol, cocaine, and 2 young children in car (DOJ)

WASHINGTON - Marshall Morgan, 42, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 34 months in prison in connection with illegally possessing a loaded Ruger P85 pistol while driving through the city accompanied by an infant and a four-year-old child in his car, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Morgan pleaded guilty on March 3, 2026, before Judge Carl J. Nichols to possession of a firearm and ammunition by felon. In addition to the 34-month prison sentence, Judge Nichols ordered Morgan to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 52-month prison term.

According to court documents, at about 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 12, 2025, Metropolitan Police Department officers stopped a car for heavily tinted windows. Morgan, who was driving, did not have a valid driver's license. A woman with Morgan sat in the front passenger seat, and an infant and a four-year-old child sat in the back.

After arresting Morgan for driving without a license, officers searched the car and found a loaded Ruger P85 pistol under the driver's seat. The gun was loaded with one round in the chamber and 15 rounds in the magazine. Investigators found Morgan's DNA on both the pistol and the magazine. Officers also found about three grams of powder cocaine in Morgan's pocket.

Morgan was previously convicted in 2006 in Prince William County, Virginia, on a weapons count stemming from an armed bank robbery in Manassas. For that offense, he served eight years in prison. He also was convicted in 2017 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

While released pending trial in this case, Morgan repeatedly violated his conditions of release. He missed curfews, tested positive for illicit substances, and traveled out of state without permission. In April 2026, the court revoked his release and he has been detained since then.

The Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Office investigated the case.

The matter was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Satter and Lauren Ibanez.

Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump's Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

Police found the Ruger P85 pistol under the driver's seat, with a round in the chamber and 15 rounds in the magazine. Morgan's DNA was later found on both the firearm and the magazine.

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