Pirro Unveils Major Drug Trafficking Bust Amid President Trump’s Crime Emergency in Washington
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro revealed a sweeping series of arrests this week in connection with a high-profile drug trafficking investigation—part of President Donald Trump’s aggressive crackdown on crime in the nation’s capital.
According to a Justice Department press release, the FBI executed nearly 20 residential search warrants across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Los Angeles on Tuesday. The year-long probe uncovered a trafficking network accused of flooding the city with PCP and fentanyl, particularly near the 2900 block of Knox Place SE.
Agents confiscated 18 firearms—including an AR-style rifle, a shotgun, and a Draco-style pistol—along with a fentanyl pill press, more than two kilograms of narcotics, and over $50,000 in cash.
Multiple Indictments and Arrests
The operation builds on last week’s indictment of eight individuals by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The defendants—hailing from California, Baltimore, and the D.C. area—were charged with conspiracy. Seven are now in custody: Leonard Edwards, 52; Eric “Marbury” Prather, 43; Thomas Wilton Hancock Jr. (“Fresh”), 43; Sarda Smith, 36; Michael Thomas, 49; Reginald Lassiter, 39; and Darryl Riley, 39.
One suspect remains a fugitive, with details of that indictment under seal, the DOJ confirmed.
Pirro was joined in the announcement by FBI Acting Assistant Director Phil Bates, DEA Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, and D.C. Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela A. Smith.
The Knox Place neighborhood has endured five homicides in the past year, underscoring the seriousness of the case. Prosecutors allege the network relied on a Baltimore link to import drugs from California, including a shipment earlier this year intercepted in Kansas containing 17 gallons of PCP.
Shifting Federal Firearms Policy
Pirro has also shifted prosecutorial policy on gun cases in the capital. Last month, she announced that her office will no longer pursue felony charges for mere possession of rifles or shotguns under local law, unless tied to violent crime or prohibited persons.
Local D.C. officials may still file charges, but Pirro cited recent Supreme Court rulings—including District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) and New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022)—as guiding her decision.
“A blanket ban on possessing shotguns and rifles cannot stand under the Supreme Court’s guidance,” Pirro said. “We will continue to seize all illegal and unlicensed firearms, and to vigorously prosecute all crimes connected with them.”
The policy also covers large-capacity magazines but leaves handgun prosecutions untouched.
Trump’s Federal Crime Crackdown
The announcement coincides with President Trump’s declaration of a crime emergency in Washington, where he has deployed hundreds of National Guard troops and federal agents. The White House reports that 76 firearms have already been seized since the initiative began this month.
Pirro, appointed by Trump in May, has long criticized lenient D.C. crime policies. She emphasized that the new strategy ensures a balance between enforcing gun laws and respecting constitutional liberties.
Additional Threats Addressed
Pirro also revealed the arrest of Nathalie Rose Jones for threatening the President.
“Nathalie Rose Jones is now in custody, charged with two federal crimes for knowingly and willfully threatening to take the life of the President of the United States,” Pirro said in a video statement.
However, PBS reported that a grand jury refused to indict Jones, leading to her release—the second such outcome for Pirro’s office in recent weeks.