District Felon Convicted by a Federal Jury of Unlawful Possession of a Loaded Firearm with .40 Caliber Ammunition

WASHINGTON - Ezra Griffith, 34, a previously convicted felon, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury of unlawful possession of a loaded firearm with .40 Caliber ammunition which is a felony offense. U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta scheduled sentencing for January 16, 2025.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

According to the evidence presented to the jury, on November 15, 2023, after sundown about 8:40 p.m., members of the MPD's Fifth District Crime Suppression Team entered the parking lot of the Rosedale Recreation Center in Northeast Washington, D.C. and observed a small group of people congregating inside the fenced-in playground next to the recreation center building. The park was closed, so the officers went to make contact with the group. In fact, there is a sign next to the playground's only entrance noting that it is open from dawn to dusk.

As officers approached the fenced-in playground, Griffith immediately sat down on a concrete partition and moved his hands near the front of his waistband, appearing to adjust an object in his lap. Subsequently, Griffith got up and sprinted along the inside fence line of the playground. Officers briefly lost sight of Griffith before stopping him moments later inside the playground area.

Officers canvassed Griffith's flight path and recovered a Glock 27 .40 caliber semiautomatic firearm loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition. Griffith has two prior felony convictions in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, for carrying a pistol without a license and for attempted robbery.

In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the investigators from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the outstanding efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney's Office including Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Robinson, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Teesha Tobias, Litigation Technology Specialist Charles Bruce, and Litigation Technology Supervisor Leif Hickling.

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