In a recent turn of events, Damion Alexander Peddie, a repeatedly deported Jamaican citizen, confessed to several charges involving firearms and his illegal re-entry into the United States. Operating out of D.C., Peddie's guilty plea adds another chapter to his extensive criminal background, which already includes multiple convictions for drug trafficking and unlawful re-entry.
U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly heard Peddie's admission of guilt, with the defendant acknowledging possession of firearms despite being a felon, as an undocumented alien, and for re-entering the U.S. following removal, as announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. The sentencing is set for March 20, 2026, where Peddie faces up to 15 years for each firearms-related count and 20 years for the re-entry offense.
FBI and DEA agents embarked on an investigation in 2024 that eventually led them to Peddie. He was found to be a key player in a drug trafficking conspiracy centered around Knox Place SE in Washington, D.C. Peddie was implicated further when, according to court documents, he was found with a significant arsenal and several narcotics intended for distribution, a statement provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office notes. Included in the seized items were so-called "ghost guns," firearms without serial numbers, which intensify the challenge for law enforcement tracking illegal weapons.
During the execution of a warrant related to the Knox Place drug trafficking investigation, agents not only recovered narcotics but also a collection of firearms, from a "ghost gun" pistol to a High Point 9mm carbine rifle, which were discovered in Peddie's residence on Taylor Street NW, as detailed by prosecuting attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey, John Parron, and John Crabb. This case serves as Peddie's fifth conviction for unlawful re-entry to the U.S., adding a dark yet familiar inflection to his persistent defiance of previous removals, not to mention his previous convictions in Maryland and D.C.
The joint efforts made by the FBI's Washington Field Office, the DEA Washington and Greenbelt Divisions, and the Metropolitan Police Department underscored a successful collaboration in apprehending Peddie. Assisted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Violence Reduction and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the case against Peddie, marked as 25cr380, demonstrates the relentless pursuit of justice within our nation's capital.
