Evergreen Reporter

Isjalon Jermiah Armstead, a 22-year-old resident of Washington D.C., has entered a guilty plea in connection with charges against members of the Push Dat Shit (PDS) street gang. The indictment accuses the gang of distributing large amounts of marijuana in the District of Columbia and using firearms, including machine guns, to support their drug operations.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., along with FBI Special Agent Sean T. Ryan from the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, Anthony Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Armstead, also known as "Smaut," pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson to discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison. His sentencing is set for May 7, 2025.

As part of his plea agreement, Armstead admitted involvement in a "rolling shootout" on June 5, 2023, in Southeast Washington's Washington Highlands neighborhood. Court documents reveal that Armstead and another PDS member were driving a gray Nissan Altima with marijuana intended for distribution when they encountered a rival gang member. A chase ensued through a residential area with both parties exchanging gunfire. The vehicle became disabled during the shootout; Armstead and his associate fled on foot but were soon apprehended by police officers after discarding marijuana and firearms.

Additional officers found two firearms discarded near the scene: a Glock Model 26 handgun and an American Tactical Omni Hybrid AR-Pistol. These weapons matched shell casings found at the site of the incident. As part of his plea deal, Armstead admitted to firing the AR-Pistol during the shootout.

This case is part of an ongoing investigation that has led to 24 convictions and seizures including vehicles, firearms, ammunition, drugs like cocaine base and oxycodone pills, as well as $500,000 in cash.

The investigation involved collaboration between the FBI’s Washington Field Office, ATF’s Washington Field Division, and Metropolitan Police Department. The prosecution team includes Assistant U.S. Attorneys James B. Nelson and Justin F. Song along with Paralegal Specialist Melissa Macechko.