Judge Sentences Darius Thomas to 16 Months

A Washington judge sentenced Darius Thomas to 16 months for unlawful possession of a firearm after he pleaded guilty to several gun and ammunition charges.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Crime — General

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a plain stone institutional facade with a columned entrance and a single flag, in deep red and cream. — A Washington judge sentenced Darius Thomas, 30, to 16 months on Nov. 4 for unlawful firearm possession tied to a March 2024 downtown incident. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

DC Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro sentenced Darius Thomas, 30, on gun and ammunition charges stemming from a March 25, 2024 incident on the 500 block of Indiana Avenue NW. Thomas pleaded guilty on Aug. 14 and was sentenced Nov. 4.

Why it matters

The sentence reflects how the court weighed Thomas' prior gun-offense history against his earlier Youth Rehabilitation Act sentence. Judge Di Toro denied a defense request for a weekends-only sentence, leaving the custodial term in place.

Thomas was sentenced to 16 months for unlawful possession of a firearm and 14 months for carrying a pistol without a license, with the terms running concurrently, all but one year and one day suspended, and 12 months of supervised probation to follow. He must also register as a gun offender and pay $300 to the Victims of Violent Crime Fund.

The players

Jennifer Di Toro

Judge Jennifer Di Toro presides over DC Superior Court, the trial court for the District of Columbia's local criminal and civil cases.

Darius Thomas

Darius Thomas, 30, is the defendant who pleaded guilty to multiple firearm and ammunition charges arising from the March 2024 incident.

Metropolitan Police Department

The Metropolitan Police Department is the principal law enforcement agency of Washington, DC, and the agency whose officers made the traffic stop and arrest.

The details

Metropolitan Police officers stopped and arrested Thomas after a witness reported that a male fired a handgun and fled in a white Acura. No gunshot injuries were reported, and Thomas also pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.

March 25, 2024: Shots-fired incident and arrest on Indiana Avenue NW.
Aug. 14: Thomas pleaded guilty to the firearm and ammunition charges.
Nov. 4: Judge Di Toro sentenced Thomas.

Legal Context

The court's handling of Thomas reflects how DC judges treat repeat gun offenders who have already received leniency under the Youth Rehabilitation Act. Prosecutors argued the earlier sentence should not limit a harsher response once the conduct escalated.

Residents near the 500 block of Indiana Avenue NW should note that the case involved a shots-fired incident and a vehicle fleeing the scene. The sentence requires Thomas to register as a gun offender, which affects his legal status going forward.

The takeaway

Repeat firearm offenses can lead to escalating sentences even when earlier sentencing was lenient. Anyone with a prior gun conviction should understand that courts may weigh that history heavily in later cases.