Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced in Firearm Case After Flight from Police (DOJ)

WASHINGTON - Rarkease Charles Bishop, 23, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 28 months in prison in connection with his unlawful possession of a Glock pistol while on supervised release for another gun offense, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Bishop pleaded guilty on Dec. 16, 2025, in U.S. District Court to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 28-month prison sentence, Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Bishop to serve three years of supervised release. Prosecutors for the U.S. Attorney's Office had requested a sentence of 37 months.

"Rarkease Bishop had multiple opportunities to turn his life around and instead chose, repeatedly and deliberately, to arm himself in defiance of the law and the courts," said U.S. Attorney Pirro. "He fled from officers, fought his arrest, and tried to hide the loaded gun he was carrying even after he was in handcuffs. That is not the behavior of someone who poses a manageable risk. It is the behavior of someone the community needs to be protected from."

According to court papers, on July 16, 2025, members of the Metropolitan Police Department's Sixth District Crime Suppression Team were on patrol in a marked police cruiser on the 100 block of 42nd Street NE. One of the officers recognized Bishop driving a white Nissan Maxima.

Officers attempted to stop the Nissan, a vehicle that had been reported stolen out of Laurel, Maryland. Bishop fled. With the car's trunk open, Bishop drove the car over a curb and accelerated away at high speed.

Officers located the Maxima abandoned in the 200 block of 51st Street SE. After spotting Bishop, police pursued him on foot. Officers observed Bishop clutching the right side of his waistband. After a brief chase, police took Bishop into custody and handcuffed him near the 5000 block of C Street SE. Bishop resisted arrest. He crossed his legs in an attempt to conceal a firearm in his pant leg and made an additional attempt to break free from custody.

Officers subdued Bishop and recovered a loaded Glock Model 23, .40 caliber pistol from Bishop's right pant leg. The pistol was loaded with one round in the chamber and 13 rounds in a 17-round capacity magazine. Bishop committed this offense while on supervised release for a prior gun conviction, namely, carrying a pistol without a license.

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Satter.

This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative. Make D.C. Safe Again 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 for offenses, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

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After he was placed in handcuffs by police, Bishop tried to hide the pistol he was carrying.

Officers discovered the pistol in Bishop's pant leg.

Police recovered the Glock 23, .40 caliber pistol that Bishop had concealed in his pants.

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