A trial involving a former Justice Department employee accused of launching a sandwich at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent is underway in Washington, D.C. The presiding judge, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, has stated that he expects the trial to wrap up in no more than two days, describing it as “the simplest case in the world.”
Judge Nichols, appointed by former President Donald Trump, shared these remarks on Monday as the trial gears up for opening statements. The case centers around Sean Charles Dunn, with the incident reportedly occurring in August. The government plans to call the agent who was hit by the sandwich as its first witness.
Initially, Dunn was facing a felony charge, but after a grand jury opted not to indict him, the charges were reduced to a misdemeanor. The episode, captured on video, appears to show a person fleeing from authorities after throwing the sandwich at the officer.
According to the criminal complaint filed in August, Dunn allegedly confronted CBP Agent Gregory Lairmore, shouting and then tossing the sandwich his way. The document cites Dunn as exclaiming, “F— you! You f—ing fascists! Why are you here? I don’t want you in my city!”
This peculiar case, involving a Subway sandwich as the alleged weapon, has captured attention for its unusual nature and the swift timeline anticipated for its conclusion in court.
“DUNN stood within inches of (Lairmore), pointed his finger in (Lairmore’s) face and yelled, ‘F— you! You f—ing fascists! Why are you here? I don’t want you in my city!’” according to the document.
Dunn tossed “a sandwich at him, striking (the CBP agent) in the chest,” the document added. “While being processed at Metropolitan Police Department’s Third District, DUNN told MTP Officer Gurkaranjot Thandi, ‘I did it. I threw a sandwich.’”
Dunn ran away but was apprehended. He was released from custody but was rearrested when a team of armed federal agents raided his home.
His lawyers argued that the White House posted a highly produced “propaganda” video of the raid on its official X account, noting that Dunn had offered to surrender to police before the raid.
FBI and Border Patrol officers arrest Sean Charles Dunn after he allegedly assaulted law enforcement with a sandwich along the U Street corridor in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 10, 2025. (Andrew Leyden/Getty Images )
Dunn worked as an international affairs specialist in the Justice Department’s criminal division. After Dunn’s arrest, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced his firing in a social media post that referred to him as “an example of the Deep State.”
Before trial, Dunn’s lawyers urged the judge to dismiss the case for what they allege is a vindictive and selective prosecution. They argued that the posts by Bondi and the White House prove Dunn was impermissibly targeted for his political speech.
Julia Gatto, one of Dunn’s lawyers, questioned why Trump’s Justice Department is prosecuting Dunn after the Republican president issued pardons and ordered the dismissal of assault cases stemming from a mob’s attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
“It’s an obvious answer,” Gatto said during a hearing last Thursday. “The answer is they have different politics. And that’s selective prosecution.”
Prosecutors countered that Dunn’s political expressions don’t make him immune from prosecution for assaulting the agent.
“The defendant is being prosecuted for the obvious reason that he was recorded throwing a sandwich at a federal officer at point-blank range,” they wrote.
FBI and Border Patrol officers speak with Sean Charles Dunn, after he allegedly assaulted law enforcement with a sandwich on Aug. 10, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Leyden/Getty Images)
Dunn is charged with assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating and interfering with a federal officer.
