Thirty-year-old Tyrell Anthony West, a resident of the District of Columbia with a prior felony conviction, has been handed a two-year prison sentence for possessing a loaded Glock semiautomatic pistol. The sentencing, as announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, came after West's guilty plea on February 13, 2025, to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. His criminal record includes a prior conviction for carrying a pistol without a license. The U.S. Attorney's Office detailed that the sentence also includes three years of supervised release, following West's incarceration.
Details of the February 26, 2024, incident indicate that officers from the MPD’s Robbery Suppression Unit, on routine patrol in unmarked vehicles, spotted West hastily exiting a silver Mercedes-Benz C300 in the 2900 block of Knox Place, SE. The vehicle's registration did not appear in the database upon checks, and the vehicle identification number (VIN) was obscured. Court documents reveal that West, when questioned about the car's registration, inadvertently exposed the firearm in the center console, just as officers were informed that the vehicle had been reported stolen. Subsequent DNA testing would link West to the seized weapon, a black Glock 30, .45 caliber semi-automatic, loaded and ready to fire.
In addition to the firearm, officers found illegal narcotics inside the car. Three plastic bags containing a white rock substance, later identified as N, N-dimethylpentalone—also known as 'boot'—totaled 82.79 grams. A digital scale found with white residue and 28 suspected suboxone strips were recovered from the Mercedes' trunk. These findings were part of the case put forward by law enforcement, which was investigated by the FBI and the Metropolitan Police Department.
The enforcement and prosecutorial efforts leading to West's sentencing involved several agencies. "The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives - Washington Division, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department," according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice. The case's prosecution was led by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Reeder-Ricchetti, with contributions from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Omeed Ali Assefi and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Svetoslavov.
