Cracking Down on Crime: Jeanine Pirro’s First Month as D.C.’s Interim U.S. Attorney Sends a Bold Message

In her first weeks as the newly sworn-in interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro has hit the ground running—fast, loud, and with unmistakable purpose. Promising a crackdown on lawlessness in the nation’s capital, Pirro has already overseen a cascade of convictions and arrests, signaling that Washington’s days as a safe haven for crime may be numbered.

Two of her highest-profile victories came Thursday when Jamiek “Onion” Bassil, 32, and Charles “Cheese” Manson, 34, were sentenced to 135 and 175 months in prison, respectively. Their charges stemmed from a sprawling drug trafficking conspiracy that flooded Northeast D.C. with fentanyl, crack cocaine, and other illicit substances. In addition to the narcotics charges, Manson was convicted in connection to a March 2024 shooting on I Street Northeast—a brazen midday act of violence just blocks from his home.

“These men operated with impunity,” Pirro said in a public statement. “But today, they faced justice.”

The pair were key players in the “21st and Vietnam” crew, a violent drug ring that had effectively claimed a stretch of Maryland Avenue as its territory. According to court filings, the group ran an open-air drug market where fentanyl—one of the deadliest opioids in circulation—was sold like candy. Undercover officers made numerous purchases from Bassil between January and March 2024, with individual transactions reaching up to 80 grams.

Manson’s criminal profile was more explosive—literally. On March 7, he emerged from an apartment wearing a ski mask and wielding a revolver, then opened fire on a dogwalker during a confrontation with another crew member. Thankfully, neither the pedestrian nor their pet was hit. Eight days later, law enforcement tracked Manson to his apartment and recovered a Glock 17 loaded with 22 rounds, as well as drugs and paraphernalia consistent with trafficking.

“This wasn’t just about selling drugs,” Pirro said. “It was about owning neighborhoods through fear and firepower. We’re putting an end to that.”

But these aren’t isolated wins. In just a month, Pirro’s office has released a blitz of announcements involving serious convictions and arrests. Among them:

• A mother found guilty of the felony murder of her 16-month-old daughter.

• A man charged in connection with a jailhouse homicide in D.C.

• A conviction in a kidnapping and strangulation case.

• A previously convicted felon sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for illegal gun possession.

• A man arrested for the murder of a woman and discarding her body in a dumpster.

Each of these cases demonstrates Pirro’s no-nonsense approach to restoring public safety in the capital—something she emphasized during her swearing-in ceremony.

But perhaps the most unusual case under her watch involves Taylor Taranto, a 39-year-old man from Washington state who was convicted last week on charges including unlawful possession of firearms and spreading hoaxes. Taranto had livestreamed threats, claiming to be building a car bomb and targeting the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Maryland. He drove across state lines to Virginia, parked his van in the middle of the road, and fled—intending to spark panic. A federal judge later found him guilty on all counts, and sentencing is pending.

“Threats to public safety come in many forms,” Pirro said. “Whether it’s fentanyl in our streets or hoaxes meant to terrorize our institutions, we will meet them with the full force of the law.”

For many in Washington, Pirro’s aggressive opening salvo may feel like a breath of fresh air. After years of escalating violence, drug overdoses, and public disorder, a strong hand at the helm of federal prosecution may be just what the city needs.

Still, critics caution against rushing to hail her as a savior. Civil liberties advocates have raised concerns about over-policing and potential prosecutorial overreach. Pirro, however, appears unfazed.

“This is not about politics,” she said. “This is about people’s right to live in safety. It’s about restoring faith in the justice system.”

With a flurry of indictments already filed and more expected in the coming weeks, Pirro’s message is clear: business as usual in Washington is over.

And in a city too often criticized for its dysfunction, one thing is becoming undeniable—Jeanine Pirro came to clean house.