Convicted Felon Sentenced in Possessing Two Loaded Revolvers and Resisting Arrest

WASHINGTON - Phillip Alphonso Mayes, 74, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 10 months in prison for unlawful possession of two handguns and ammunition and 6 months in prison for resisting arrest, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Mayes pleaded guilty on Dec. 1, 2025, before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and to resisting arrest. In addition to the prison term, Judge McFadden ordered Mayes to serve 1 year of supervised release.

According to court documents, on Aug. 22, 2025, a Metropolitan Police Department officer was dispatched to a multiunit housing building in the 3800 block of W Street SE, where a .38 Special revolver had been found in a mailbox. While the officer was guarding the firearm, Mayes descended the stairs, attempted to retrieve it, and stated "that's mine" before the officer forcefully removed it from his grasp. The officer attempted to place Mayes under arrest. Mayes struggled with the officer, pushed her against a wall, and pulled her up two flights of stairs before she broke free and returned to the ground floor, sustaining scratches to her right forearm and the right side of her face.

Following his arrest, officers executed a search warrant at Mayes' unit and recovered a second loaded firearm, a .357 Magnum revolver, concealed in a bag in a closet. Mayes admitted both weapons belonged to him.

Mayes was prohibited from possessing any firearm due to prior felony convictions: a 2001 conviction for possession of a controlled substance in Illinois for which he was ultimately sentenced to two years in prison, and two 1992 convictions for retail fraud and being a habitual offender in Michigan for which he was sentenced to a prison term of between 16 months and two years.

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Blake J. Ellison and John Parron.

This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative. Make D.C. Safe Again is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump's Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenses, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

Still Photo of Mayes Holding the Firearm After Taking It from the Mailbox

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