Portland resident sentenced to federal prison for illegal firearm possession after HSI assists in robbery investigation

PORTLAND, Ore. — A Portland man was sentenced to federal prison May 23, after being convicted at trial in October for illegally possessing a stolen firearm as a convicted felon. Desmond Boris Washington, 35, was sentenced to four years in federal prison and three years supervised release.

According to court documents, on Oct. 10, 2018, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents and Portland Police Bureau officers executed four premises search warrants in the Portland area as part of a federal investigation into the armed robbery of two marijuana dealers. Washington, while not a target of the investigation, resided at one of the apartments searched. During the search, a Portland police officer observed a silver and black Taurus handgun in an open dresser drawer. In the same drawer, agents found a gold dental grill, necklaces, and a pendant with the name “I5daP,” a moniker used by Washington. Investigators later obtained several publicly available photographs and videos showing Washington wearing the dental grill and necklaces.

As the investigation continued, agents found additional evidence linking Washington to the handgun. A DNA test found DNA profiles from four different individuals, including Washington, on the gun. Washington’s public Facebook profile photo showed him holding what appeared to be the same gun. Washington also posted a series of music videos to YouTube showing him and several other convicted felons with the gun.

On Nov. 6, 2018, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a single-count indictment charging Washington with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He was convicted on the charge in a jury trial ending Oct. 30, 2021.

On Dec. 4, 2019, two other Portland residents, Christopher Eugene Miller, 30, and Kebrin Larry Jones, 28, were indicted for illegally possessing the same stolen Taurus handgun. Jones later guilty to the charge and, on Sept. 1, 2020, was sentenced to 17 months in federal prison and three years supervised release. Miller is in pre-trial custody pending a three-day jury trial scheduled to begin June 28.

Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement. This case was investigated by HSI and the Portland Police Bureau and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

HSI is a directorate of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 7,100 Special Agents assigned to 220 cities throughout the United States, and 80 overseas locations in 53 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.