Clarence Faulkner, 43, Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Federal Firearms and Drug Trafficking Offenses

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Defendant Possessed Loaded Short-Barreled Rifle While Trafficking Narcotics

            WASHINGTON – Clarence Faulkner, 43, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 57 months in prison on federal firearms and drug trafficking charges, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Faulkner pleaded guilty on February 27, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon and one count of unlawful possession with intent to distribute PCP.  He was sentenced by the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan. Following his prison term, Faulkner will serve three years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, on November 4, 2023, MPD officers approached an unoccupied gray Acura in the 300 block of 61st Street Northeast and observed a clear plastic bag filled with suspected marijuana on the rear passenger floorboard. Officers then searched the vehicle and recovered more than two pounds of marijuana, 108 grams of cocaine base, six fluid ounces of liquid PCP, two scales, and over $38,000 in cash. Officers also recovered a loaded Glock semi‑automatic pistol that had been converted into a short-barreled rifle. The firearm was loaded with 28 rounds of ammunition in a 31-capacity feeding device.

            The Acura was registered to Faulkner and contained Faulkner’s identification and mail.  Police stopped and arrested Faulkner, who was standing on a sidewalk nearby. Faulkner has remained in custody since his arrest.

            Federal law prohibits Faulkner from possessing a firearm because he has multiple prior convictions for crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, including three prior felony firearms convictions.

            The case was investigated by the ATF’s Washington Field Division and the Metropolitan Police Department as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.

            The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul V. Courtney and Cameron A. Tepfer and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Toth.