KANSAS CITY, MO. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Missouri, Western), published as received.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm.
Desmond L. Washington, 22, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to possessing a firearm after previously being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
Washington was arrested on Sept. 7, 2019, when Kansas City police officers saw Washington and several other people fighting in the street in front of a building at 914 E. Armour Blvd. in Kansas City. Officers took all of the individuals involved into custody.
There was a silver Ford Fusion around which the fight was centered. The Fusion bore temporary tags that were not registered to the vehicle and officers decided to have the vehicle towed. An inventory search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of a Glock 10mm handgun. Washington, while being transported after his arrest, told an officer that the firearm was his and he wanted it back.
Under federal law, it illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence to be in possession of a firearm or ammunition. Washington has two prior misdemeanor convictions of domestic violence.
Under federal statutes, Washington is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Barnes. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
