A 27-year-old Nigerian man, Samuel Fapohunda, has been convicted in a United States federal court for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro in a statement issued by the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday, July 30, 2026.
According to the statement, Fapohunda, a Maryland resident with a prior felony conviction, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court to unlawfully possessing a Glock 19 pistol loaded with a 17-round magazine.
He entered the guilty plea before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Judge McFadden scheduled sentencing for December 3, 2026.
How the Arrest Happened
Court documents revealed that at about 6:45 p.m. on June 25, 2026, officers on patrol in the 1800 block of 18th Street SE in Washington, D.C., spotted a vehicle parked with its engine running and illegally tinted windows.
When an officer approached the vehicle, Fapohunda, who was driving, rolled down the window, prompting officers to detect the smell of marijuana.
Fapohunda admitted he had been smoking marijuana, after which officers ordered both occupants out of the vehicle. As the passenger exited, officers observed her holding a burnt marijuana cigarette.
A federal law enforcement officer then conducted a protective pat-down of Fapohunda and felt what appeared to be a firearm concealed in his waistband.
Before officers recovered the weapon, Fapohunda reportedly blurted out, “It’s under my shorts,” repeating the statement three times.
Officers subsequently recovered a loaded Glock 19 9mm handgun fitted with a 17-round magazine.
A search of the vehicle also uncovered marijuana, a nearly full bottle of codeine-based cough syrup, drug paraphernalia—including a weighing scale and plastic baggies containing residue—and $985 in cash.
Previous Convictions
A criminal background check revealed that Fapohunda had previously been convicted of robbery in Arlington County, Virginia. He was sentenced to five years in prison, with four years suspended, making it illegal under U.S. federal law for him to possess a firearm or ammunition.
The court documents also noted that in 2018, Fapohunda was arrested in Washington, D.C., after allegedly punching a passenger and slamming the man’s head against a glass window aboard a Vienna-bound Orange Line train.
According to reports at the time, witnesses told authorities that Fapohunda, who was 19 years old, approached the older passenger without provocation before allegedly assaulting him.
Investigation
The case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Washington Field Office.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Liss under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative.
