Following an incident earlier last month, Ronald Aiken, a 48-year-old man from the District of Columbia, has found himself under indictment for unlawful firearm possession. The U.S. Attorney's Office revealed the charges as part of the "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful" initiative aimed at curbing violent crime. The indictment, made public yesterday, stems from a June 10 event where Aiken was apprehended after a minor traffic violation escalated into a firearms charge.
As reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Metropolitan Police Department’s Fifth District Crime Suppression Team members were actively patrolling in response to recent shootings when they noticed Aiken's gray Audi sedan. Despite being announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the ATF, and MPD Chief Pamela Smith, driving the wrong way on a one-way street is what drew the officers' attention. After stopping the vehicle on the 1700 block of Gales Street NE, an open can of beer and a live round of ammunition in an unzipped backpack placed on the rear passenger seat were swiftly spotted through the window by the officers.
According to the indictment, a more thorough search of Aiken’s vehicle led to the discovery of a loaded black Taurus G3 9x19 pistol, hidden behind the rear driver-side seat. This firearm was equipped with one round in the chamber and an additional three rounds in the magazine. Having previous felony convictions, including a 2024 conviction for firearms possession in Arlington County, Virginia, Aiken legally cannot hold a firearm or ammunition. It is noteworthy that an indictment does not serve as evidence of guilt, and Aiken, like all defendants, is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The investigation into Aiken's case is the result of cooperation between the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department, with Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Sussler and Brendan Horan leading the prosecution.
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