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Date: 06-06-2024
Case Style:
United States of America v. Mark Harris
Case Number: 23cr408
Judge: Reggie B. Walton
Court: The United States District Court for the District of Columbia (Washington County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: The United States Attorney’s Officein Washington, D.C.
Defendant's Attorney: Todd Stewart Baldwin
Description: Washington, D.C. criminal defense lawyer Todd Stewart Baldwin represented the Defendant charged with possession of Ghost Gun and Ammunition
Ghost Gun and Ammunition Land Convicted Felon Back in Prison for 65 Months
Mark Harris, 27, a previously convicted felon from Washington D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 65 months in prison for possessing three different firearms between June 1 and November 2, 2023, one which was an untraceable “ghost gun,” and more than 150 rounds of ammunition. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, DEA Special Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police.
Harris, aka “Romilli,” pleaded guilty on February 29, 2024, to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered Harris to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on May 23, 2023, law enforcement learned of an Instagram live stream posted by Harris in which he produced a black handgun and stated something to the effect of “crack a (explicit) head with this joint.” Based on the post, Harris’s prior felony conviction and his location in the District at the time of the posting, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for his residence.
On June 1, 2023, law enforcement executed the search warrant. In Harris’s bedroom under the mattress, law enforcement seized a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol with no serial number (a privately manufactured firearm or “ghost gun”) and an extended magazine with 12 rounds of ammunition and one bullet in the chamber. Inside a closet, law enforcement recovered a Palmetto PA-15 multi-caliber semi-automatic rifle with a 42-round capacity magazine. In addition, they found more than 133 rounds of assorted silver and bronze ammunition; ammunition in four boxes under the bed; 10 bottles of promethazine, and two bags of white powdery substance in a small safe.
Despite the execution of the search warrant on June 1, by June 30 Harris again went on Instagram to post images of additional firearms in his possession. On October 4, 2023, Harris publicly posted to his Instagram account a YouTube music video for his song “Add It Up,” in which he is depicted holding a firearm with an extended magazine and a “giggle switch” used to convert the weapon into a fully automatic machine gun. On November 2, 2023, law enforcement again executed a search warrant at Harris’s residence. This time, they found Harris in his bedroom, where they recovered: a stolen black .40 caliber Glock 22 pistol with a 15-round capacity magazine containing 14 rounds and one round in the chamber; 10 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition from a dresser drawer; various prescription forms contained within a bag on the floor; and two empty promethazine bottles next to the bed. Law enforcement arrested Harris and he has remained in custody since his arrest.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration- Washington Division and the Metropolitan Police Department with valuable assistance from the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sitara Witanachchi of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Washington D.C. Valuable assistance was provided by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Crosby.
Outcome:
Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 65 months in prison
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: