An indictment was recently unsealed in federal court in Washington D.C., charging Kelon Von Dukes, aged 20, with being a convicted felon in illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr., alongside Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Court documents reveal that on March 1, 2025, officers from the MPD’s Seventh District Special Missions Unit were patrolling in full uniform near 4700 South Capitol Street SE. During their patrol on the 400 Block of Southern Avenue SE, they observed a man smoking what appeared to be a marijuana cigarette. Upon noticing the officers, the man allegedly fled, discarding both the cigarette and a black bag.
The officers pursued and apprehended him on Southern Avenue. A subsequent pat-down revealed an L-shaped object in his left front pocket, which was alleged to be a loaded semi-automatic pistol reported as stolen. The individual was identified as Kelon Von Dukes, who has two prior felony convictions for carrying a pistol without a license and was on supervised probation at the time of arrest.
On March 11, Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey ordered Dukes to be detained pending trial.
The investigation is being conducted by the MPD and ATF, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle McWaters. This case falls under Make D.C. Safe Again, an initiative by U.S. Attorney Martin aimed at tackling gun violence in Washington D.C.
Authorities remind that an indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.