Brian Carruth, 45, currently of Rockport, Texas, was found guilty after a three-day jury trial on charges stemming from an incident in which he unlawfully carried an unregistered rifle and ammunition into the District of Columbia.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Alfonso Dyson, U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, on December 5, 2021, U.S. Secret Service officers stopped Mr. Carruth, who was then a resident of Burbank, Ohio, in his vehicle near the corner of 18th St. and G St. NW, roughly one block from the White House. Officers first took note of Mr. Carruth’s pickup truck because it had what appeared to be a rifle case mounted to the bed portion of the vehicle. After being stopped, Mr. Carruth told officers that he was in Washington, D.C., on a matter of national security with the Department of the Interior and had plans to visit the White House. He later informed officers that there was a hunting rifle in the backseat area of his truck. Upon searching Mr. Carruth’s vehicle, officers found a bolt-action rifle equipped with a scope and 38 rounds of live ammunition, as well as two spent shell casings. The rifle was not registered in Washington, D.C. In addition, officers discovered documents in Mr. Carruth’s truck that appeared to discuss fundamentally restructuring and resetting the U.S. federal government.
Mr. Carruth was found guilty of one count of Carrying a Rifle or Shotgun Outside Home or Place of Business, one count of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, and one count of Unlawful Possession of Ammunition. The guilty verdict followed a three-day trial before the Honorable Michael O’Keefe in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld scheduled sentencing for April 28, 2023.
In announcing the conviction, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Dyson commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Secret Service. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lashaune Briggs.
Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Derbish and Assistant U.S. Attorney Julian Ginos, who prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Hyde, who investigated the case.
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