WASHINGTON — A 27-year-old Maryland resident has entered a guilty plea in a federal court regarding the unlawful possession of a loaded firearm and ammunition, according to the Department of Justice.
Samuel Fapohunda appeared before U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden to plead guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. Sentencing has been officially scheduled for December 3, 2026.
According to court filings, the case stemmed from an incident on the evening of June 25, 2026. Law enforcement officers patrolling the 1800 block of 18th Street SE noticed a running vehicle with illegally tinted windows parked along the street. Upon approaching the automobile, officers detected the distinct odor of marijuana as the driver lowered the window.
The driver, identified as Fapohunda, acknowledged to officers that he had been smoking. Subsequent commands directed the vehicle’s occupants to step outside. As the passenger exited, authorities observed a burnt marijuana cigarette in her hand.
During a protective pat-down procedure, law enforcement felt a weapon concealed in Fapohunda’s waistband. Before officers could retrieve it, Fapohunda repeatedly stated that the firearm was under his shorts. Officers recovered a loaded 9mm Glock 19 handgun equipped with a 17-round magazine.
A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered marijuana, an almost full bottle of codeine-based cough syrup, drug paraphernalia including a digital scale and packaging baggies, alongside $985 in cash.
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Federal prosecutors noted that Fapohunda was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior felony conviction for robbery in Arlington County, Virginia, for which he received a five-year prison sentence with four years suspended. Past records also indicate a 2018 arrest in Washington, D.C., following an unprovoked physical assault on a passenger aboard a Vienna-bound Orange Line train.
The joint investigation was managed by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Liss prosecuted the case under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative.
