[PR] D.C. Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms Charge in ATF Firearms and Narcotics Investigation

Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Columbia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Crack, Drug Paraphernalia, and a Firearm Were Seized

            WASHINGTON – Bayney Pinard Parker, 39, of Southeast, D.C. pled guilty on Tuesday, January 7, 2020 to a federal firearms charge stemming from his narcotics trafficking in the summer and fall of 2019, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Parker pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. He will be sentenced on March 20, 2020 by the Honorable Judge Amit P. Mehta. He faces a minimum term of incarceration of five years, up to life in prison.

            Parker was arrested after the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) engaged in a large-scale investigation of the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, Southeast, Washington, D.C. for narcotics trafficking. During the investigation, the ATF conducted several controlled purchases of narcotics from the defendant, to include the purchase of cocaine base (also known as crack cocaine). On October 3, 2019, ATF obtained a search warrant and conducted a search of the defendant’s residence, finding .40 caliber ammunition, several green ziplocs containing crack, a digital scale, drug paraphernalia, and $1,818 in U.S. currency. ATF also located a Glock gun box and 9mm magazine, along with a Palmer 80 firearm and accompanying ammunition.

            “This investigation is another example of our determination to target drug trafficking organizations that are bringing in crack and firearms into neighborhoods of the District of Columbia,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “Through this coordinated law enforcement effort, we were able to remove significant quantities of drugs as well as dangerous firearms from the community.”

            This case is part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF specializes in the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises.

            This case was also prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide crime-reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the District of Columbia, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Benedict, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case, including ATF and MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the United States Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

            Finally, they cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Rosen of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Section, Paralegal Specialist Teesha Tobias, Kim Hall, Candace Battle, and Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton.