A 40-month federal prison sentence was handed down to Garrick Richardson, 30, for his involvement in a May 2023 shootout near a DuPont nightclub in Northwest Washington, D.C.. As reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Richardson's guilty plea in March acknowledged his possession of a firearm as a felon, leading to his conviction and sentence issued by U.S. District Judge John D. Bates, which also includes three years of supervised release.
Details from the court documents released by the U.S. Attorney's Office describe an altercation on May 13, 2023, following a confrontation outside the Abigail nightspot. Richardson, wearing a distinctive black t-shirt with white lettering, dark jeans, and white shoes, engaged in an escalating conflict that involved a parked silver Kia in the club's adjacent parking garage. The incident culminated with Dirk Easton, an associate of Richardson, being struck by a ricochet bullet after firing at the vehicle with a handgun later linked to Richardson through DNA testing.
The weapon in question, a black Glock 35 .40 caliber handgun, had been modified to function as a fully automatic machine gun and was recovered from a BMW that transported the injured Easton to GWU Hospital. The gun's origins were traced back to Raleigh, North Carolina, where it had been reported stolen just weeks before the shootout occurred. Richardson's possession of this converted weapon contributed to the basis of his criminal charges.
Three other men faced charges and subsequent prison sentences. As part of the broader investigation into the incident, Easton received a sentence of 72 months, while Adrian Vinson and Tyron Hines were sentenced to 66 and 72 months, respectively, for their roles in the events connected to drug trafficking offenses. These prosecutions were part of an effort led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department's Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.
