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District resident Maurice Devonte Beckham, 22, pleaded guilty to a federal weapon charge after he was caught earlier this year in a stolen Honda CR-V while in possession of a semi-automatic weapon, authorities announced.
According to his plea, shortly after 2 a.m. on Jan. 30, officers on patrol in the 1100 block of Raum Street NE when they spotted Beckham - who they recognized from his previous crimes - getting into the driver's seat of a running Honda.
As officers approached the stolen vehicle, Beckham sped up toward them - nearly striking them -before crashing into an occupied, marked police vehicle and a local resident's parked car. They were then able to wrestle Beckham out of the front seat, though he proceeded to flee on foot until they could arrest him.
Once in custody, a search of the Honda led to the recovery of a semi-automatic Micro Draco 7.62x39mm caliber gun with one round in the chamber and 20 rounds in its 30-round capacity magazine.
Beckham was arrested that night and has been in custody since. He pleaded guilty to one count of "unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year."
Prosecutors made note that Beckham had been prohibited from possessing firearms due to a previous conviction for unauthorized use of a vehicle. He will now face up to 15 years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine when he is sentenced in February.
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