Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

WASHINGTON — Russell Campbell, 21, of Washington, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison in connection with his possession of a Glock firearm and possession of an AK-style pistol recovered during a traffic stop by the U.S. Secret Service.

The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division; Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Special Agent in Charge Michael Buck of the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division; and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Campbell is an influential rapper who performs as “Gizwop.” He is affiliated with a violent group originating in 37th Place SE that refers to themselves as the Fox 5 Gang.

In addition to the prison term, Campbell was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper to serve three years of supervised release.

Campbell pleaded guilty September 21, 2023, to a two-count indictment, charging him with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm while under indictment and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a felony.

According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 8, 2020, Campbell was charged in D.C. Superior Court for carrying a pistol without a license. While on release in that case, on June 20, 2021, Campbell was armed with a loaded firearm while in the vicinity of a gas station on the 2200 block Bladensburg Road NE. Specifically, from Campbell’s waistband, officers recovered a Glock 45 with 23 rounds of ammunition loaded in an extended magazine.

Four months later, on Oct. 20, 2021, while still under court-ordered supervision, Campbell was involved in a shootout in the 200 block of 37th Place SE. Campbell was charged in D.C. Superior Court and ultimately plead guilty to carrying a pistol without a license in connection with this shootout on May 25, 2022. On June 7, 2022, Campbell was sentenced to six months in prison, with all that time suspended under the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA), and with 18 months’ supervised probation.

Despite being a felon, and after having been ordered by the Court to not possess any firearms, on Nov. 11, 2022, Campbell occupied a vehicle containing five firearms, one of which was forensically linked to him. On the evening of Nov. 10, 2022, surveillance from the 200 block of 37th Place SE recorded Campbell entering a vehicle at about 5:30 p.m. carrying a green and black backpack, later found to contain an AK-style pistol.

About 3 a.m. on Nov. 11, 2022, Campbell, four others left the club in the vehicle. U.S. Secret Service performed a traffic stop on the vehicle Campbell occupied in the 800 block of 7th Street, NW.  Therein, law enforcement found five different firearms and the green and black backpack. Inside the backpack was a Zastava AK-Style with an extended magazine holding thirty .556 caliber live rounds and one live round in the chamber. Campbell was included in the DNA profile from the AK-Style pistol and the attached magazine.

This case was investigated by the MPD. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sitara Witanachchi of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia with valuable assistance provided by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Wang.

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