67-Year-Old D.C. Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robberies of Two Northeast Fast-Food Restaurants

Alvin Ponson, 67, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Washington to charges stemming from the armed robberies of two fast-food restaurants in Northeast D.C., the Justice Department announced.

The scope of the case covers two separate incidents at fast-food outlets, one of them a Jersey Mike’s location. Ponson is the sole defendant named in the plea.

The guilty plea changes the case status from pending trial to convicted. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled; under federal procedure the court must now order a presentence investigation report before imposing punishment. The prior state was an open criminal prosecution; the new state is a formal admission of guilt on the record.

Downstream, the conviction triggers mandatory federal sentencing guidelines calculations that include enhancements for the use of a weapon and the number of victims or locations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia will submit a sentencing memorandum, after which the judge must issue a final sentence.

That sentence will determine any prison term, supervised release, restitution, or fines. The plea also removes the case from the trial calendar, freeing court resources for other matters in the D.C. federal docket.

This is the latest guilty plea secured by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for violent crimes in the District. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro on May 29, 2026.

The Justice Department release identified the case as an armed robbery prosecution but did not disclose additional details on the second restaurant, the precise dates of the offenses, the weapons used, or the amounts taken.