A Maryland man has been indicted on federal firearms charges, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., as part of an initiative to address gun violence in the District of Columbia. Thirty-three-year-old Damarqus Moore of Suitland faces charges in connection with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, under the umbrella of the "Make D.C. Safe Again" program — an effort combining resources from multiple agencies to decrease violent crime and strengthen public safety in the nation's capital, as reported by U.S. Department of Justice.
The indictment against Moore was a collaborative announcement made by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). It outlines a January 13th incident in which Moore was arrested after MPD officers noticed a vehicle with illegal window tint, and no front license plate idling on the 5800 block of Dix Street NE, Washington, D.C. The rear license plate, officers discovered, belonged to a different vehicle.
Subsequent to Moore's arrest, officers conducting a search found MDMA tablets on him and uncovered a .40 caliber firearm with an obliterated serial number hidden in the steering column of his automobile, according to court documents. Prior convictions of Moore in the State of Maryland, include first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon, which bar him legally from possessing a firearm, as noted by the same press release.
