Christopher Forbes, 30, of Suitland, Maryland, has been sentenced to 66 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden following Forbes’ guilty plea on June 6, 2025, to being a felon in unlawful possession of a firearm.
In addition to the prison term, Forbes will serve three years of supervised release. The prosecution is part of the Make D.C. Safe Again Initiative, which aims to reduce violent crime in Washington, D.C., by focusing on gun violence and seeking tougher penalties for firearms offenses.
According to court documents, on April 5, 2025, Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to multiple reports of gunfire near the Stadium Armory Metro Station at around 5:42 a.m. Officers found Forbes nearby on Independence Ave. SE and conducted a protective pat-down after observing him shouting into his cellphone.
When asked if he had anything on him, Forbes told officers he had his “dog,” referring to a firearm. Police recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson SD40 .40 caliber pistol from his hip and found shell casings at the scene that matched the weapon’s caliber. The firearm was later identified as stolen from North Carolina.
A review showed that Forbes had previously been convicted of felony robbery in Prince George’s County, Maryland in 2024 and had an active extraditable warrant related to that case. He also faced a non-extraditable warrant out of Florida for discharging a firearm in public during an earlier conviction.
Forbes was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law due to his felony conviction and a prior misdemeanor domestic violence conviction. In his plea agreement, he admitted firing the pistol at least four times outside the Metro Station.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Duvall prosecuted the case.
“This prosecution came as part of the Make D.C. Safe Again Initiative, which surged resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators,” according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
