Police Chase Ends in 46-Month Sentence for Man with Machine Gun

Jamal Fleming, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 46 months in federal prison for possessing a loaded machine gun while leading police on a high-speed chase in a stolen SUV under the influence of cocaine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

High-Speed Chase and Arrest

During the chase, Fleming crashed the stolen SUV into a utility pole and attempted to flee from officers on foot. However, he became ensnared in a fence and was subsequently apprehended. This conviction marks Fleming’s third offense related to illegal firearms possession, involving a weapon that had been illegally modified to function as a fully automatic machine gun, which poses a significant risk to public safety.

Following his arrest, officers searched Fleming and discovered a key fob connected to the stolen SUV. Inside the vehicle, they found a black Glock 29 loaded with 16 rounds of 10mm ammunition. The firearm was modified with a “switch,” a device that converts a semi-automatic pistol into a fully automatic weapon capable of rapid-fire, and it was equipped with a laser sight.

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DNA Evidence and Vehicle Theft

DNA testing confirmed that the firearm belonged to Fleming, linking him directly to the weapon. Authorities also determined that the SUV had been reported stolen a week prior from an automotive repair shop in Beltsville, Maryland, underscoring a concerning trend in vehicle thefts related to illegal firearms trafficking.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Fleming had previously been sentenced on December 12, 2022, to five years in prison, with all but one year suspended, along with three years of supervised probation. At the time of his latest arrest in October 2023, he was still on probation. This case highlights the ongoing issues of gun violence and vehicle theft in the region.

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