Alonte Wilkinson, a 31-year-old resident of Washington D.C., has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for the illegal possession of a firearm. The firearm in question was identified as a "ghost gun," which was found during a police stop on suspicion of shoplifting at a CVS store in Southwest Washington D.C.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Wilkinson had previously pleaded guilty on October 23, 2024, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. Alongside his prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton has mandated three years of supervised release following his sentence.
Court documents reveal that on January 17, 2024, MPD officers were conducting an operation targeting retail theft at the CVS located on the 1100 block of 4th Street SW. At approximately 5:18 p.m., Wilkinson and another individual entered the store and left without paying for their items four minutes later. Officers stopped them as they walked northbound on 4th Street SW.
During a search conducted by MPD officers, a firearm was found in Wilkinson’s right jacket pocket. He claimed to have a license to carry but could not produce it at that time. The weapon recovered was identified as a Glock 27 .40 caliber pistol with one live round in the chamber and twelve more rounds in the magazine; its serial number had been obliterated making it unreadable. Further checks revealed that Wilkinson did not possess any valid license nor was this particular firearm registered to him.
Wilkinson's criminal history showed he is a felon with prior convictions for firearms offenses dating back to 2019, for which he served over one year in prison.
The investigation into this case was conducted by both the FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department, with prosecution led by Assistant United States Attorney Emory Cole.