Jeanine Pirro Takes Charge as D.C.’s Interim U.S. Attorney, Unleashes Aggressive Crackdown on Crime

Newly appointed interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro is wasting no time making her presence felt. With a sharp tone and a promise to “clean up Washington,” Pirro has quickly launched a series of federal prosecutions targeting the city’s most violent offenders and criminal organizations. Her first few weeks in office have been a whirlwind of convictions, sentencing announcements, and a strong message: lawlessness in the nation’s capital will no longer be tolerated.

In a matter of days, Pirro’s office has unveiled multiple high-profile convictions. Among them, a group of violent robbers was sentenced after kidnapping and brutally assaulting a woman in her own home. In another case, three men were sentenced for trafficking fentanyl throughout D.C., part of an effort Pirro described as “targeting the poisonous heart of this city’s drug epidemic.”

The crackdown didn’t stop there. A marijuana dealer, arrested while in possession of a machine gun, was sentenced to over two years in federal prison. Meanwhile, a jury delivered a guilty verdict in the case of a father charged with the horrifying sexual abuse of his 12-year-old child—convicted of first-degree child sexual abuse.

But perhaps the most complex case of Pirro’s early tenure involved a sprawling drug trafficking conspiracy and a related shooting that shook a northeast D.C. neighborhood. Last week, two men, Jamiek “Onion” Bassil and Charles “Cheese” Manson—not to be confused with the infamous cult leader—were handed prison sentences of 135 and 175 months, respectively. The two were key members of the “21st and Vietnam” crew, a notorious operation that controlled an open-air drug market in the 2100 block of Maryland Avenue NE.

The charges against them ranged from distributing large quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine to committing acts of violence, including a March 2024 shooting that endangered the lives of innocent bystanders. Pirro outlined how Manson, wearing a ski mask and carrying a revolver, fired multiple shots at a man walking his dog after a dispute with one of the crew members. Though no one was hit, the brazen nature of the attack and the public setting rattled the neighborhood and prompted swift law enforcement response.

When arrested just over a week later, Manson was found with a loaded Glock 17, 22 rounds of ammunition, and a stash of drugs that included fentanyl and cocaine. Pirro confirmed that Bassil, too, was deeply involved in the distribution ring, selling roughly 80 grams of fentanyl to undercover agents in a series of transactions that spanned early 2024.

Pirro emphasized the dangers of even small doses of fentanyl—just two milligrams can be fatal—underscoring the urgency behind these prosecutions. “We are not dealing with street corner mischief,” she stated. “We are facing industrial-scale drug distribution networks with no regard for life, and they will be dismantled piece by piece.”

Her message is clear: law and order is back in Washington, D.C.

Beyond drug and violence-related cases, Pirro’s office also secured a conviction in a disturbing federal case involving domestic extremism. A 39-year-old man from Pasco, Washington—identified as Taylor Taranto—was convicted on multiple charges stemming from a livestreamed threat in which he discussed building a detonator and targeting a federal facility.

According to court records, Taranto was found guilty of illegal gun possession, unlawful possession of ammunition, and spreading hoaxes and false information. In June 2023, he livestreamed himself driving a van near the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Maryland, claiming to be in possession of an explosive device. He later crossed into Virginia, abandoning his vehicle in the street in a staged act meant to simulate an emergency, which prompted a rapid law enforcement response.

U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols presided over the case and is expected to announce a sentencing date in the coming weeks. The defense has requested that Taranto be released until sentencing, a decision still pending.

As the cases pile up, one thing is certain: Jeanine Pirro has come to Washington not just to lead, but to overhaul a justice system she views as too lenient for too long.

“The people of this city deserve better,” she said in a statement. “They deserve safety, justice, and a community free from fear. That’s the mission. That’s the standard. And we’re just getting started.