A Washington D.C. man with a history of serious crimes has been sentenced to nearly 6 years in federal prison for hiding a loaded handgun in a public laundry room while evading police pursuit.
On Friday, Columbia District federal prosecutors announced that 33-year-old Michael Ralph Collins was sentenced to 71 months of imprisonment for felony possession of a firearm and ammunition.
In addition, Collins will also be subject to three years of supervised release upon completing his sentence.
Collins pleaded guilty on May 7 to a charge of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Authorities said that Collins, while fleeing from law enforcement, attempted to conceal a loaded Ruger .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun. Prosecutors stated that police subsequently tracked his whereabouts and found the gun in an open washing machine in the laundry room.
According to prosecutors, Collins had been released from custody less than two weeks prior to this incident, having been convicted in 2025 for armed carjacking.
Collins has a criminal record spanning over a decade. Prosecutors mentioned his conviction in 2011 for attempted burglary and two convictions in 2013 for armed robbery.
The investigation of this case was carried out by the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and the Washington D.C. branch of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Liss was responsible for prosecuting the case, which is part of the federal government’s “Keeping Washington D.C. Safe and Beautiful” initiative. One of the key focuses of this program is to enhance prosecution of federal firearm crimes and increase penalties for gun-related offenses.