Jeanine Pirro has only recently taken the oath as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, but she is already making her presence felt in a city long plagued by violent crime and open-air drug markets. Her message upon assuming the role was clear: lawlessness would no longer be tolerated — and the first major results have now arrived.
Federal prosecutors announced that two Washington, D.C. men have received lengthy prison sentences for their roles in a large-scale drug trafficking operation tied to both fentanyl distribution and a violent shooting in Northeast D.C.
Jamiek Bassil, 32, known on the street as “Onion,” was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison. His co-conspirator, Charles Manson, 34 — nicknamed “Cheese” — received a substantially longer sentence of 175 months. Both men were convicted for their involvement in a narcotics conspiracy that flooded local neighborhoods with fentanyl, crack cocaine, and other illegal substances.
According to court records and statements from Pirro’s office, the two were members of a criminal group known as the “21st and Vietnam” crew, which controlled a notorious open-air drug market along the 2100 block of Maryland Avenue in Northeast Washington. Investigators said the operation functioned openly, supplying drugs to users while fueling violence in the surrounding community.
Bassil pleaded guilty on March 21, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl — a quantity capable of producing thousands of lethal doses. Manson entered guilty pleas the same day to multiple charges, including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and assault with a dangerous weapon.
The case also centered on a shooting that occurred on March 7, 2024, near the intersection of 19th and I Streets Northeast — just steps from Manson’s residence. Prosecutors identified Manson as the gunman in that incident. According to authorities, he was provided a ski mask by another member of the crew before entering an apartment complex, where he later exited armed with a revolver.
Pirro said Manson fired several shots during the incident, narrowly missing a man who was walking his dog at the time. Neither the pedestrian nor the animal was injured, but the shooting underscored the danger the drug operation posed to innocent residents.
When law enforcement arrested Manson eight days later, officers recovered a Glock 17 handgun loaded with 22 rounds of ammunition, along with additional magazines, a supply of ammunition, roughly 50 grams of a fentanyl analogue, more than 13 grams of cocaine, and various items commonly associated with drug distribution.
Investigators also detailed Bassil’s role in the conspiracy, stating that between January and March of 2024, he sold fentanyl to undercover police officers on numerous occasions — sometimes in quantities reaching up to 80 grams per transaction. He was also found to have distributed additional illegal substances during those controlled buys.
Announcing the sentences, Pirro emphasized that dismantling violent drug networks would be a top priority for her office, particularly those responsible for spreading fentanyl, which continues to devastate families and communities across the nation.
“These sentences reflect the seriousness of the crimes and the harm inflicted on our neighborhoods,” Pirro said, signaling that federal prosecutors would continue to aggressively pursue traffickers who combine narcotics distribution with violence.
The convictions mark one of the first major enforcement actions under Pirro’s leadership — and a clear indication that her tenure will focus on restoring order and holding dangerous offenders fully accountable.