‘I Felt the Pressure on Me,’ Says Carjacking Defendant Sentenced to Ten Years

By Madelyn Nall - November 4, 2024
Carjacking | Daily Stories | Robbery | Suspects |

DC Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld sentenced a carjacking defendant to 10 years in prison on Nov. 4. 

On Aug. 30, Larry Fisher, 31, pleaded guilty to carjacking for his involvement in an incident that took place on Feb. 27 on the 1500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. 

According to court documents, Fisher and another unidentified individual robbed a DoorDash driver while he was on his moped picking up an order from McDonald’s. 

In CCTV footage played in open court, Fisher is seen striking the victim with a hard object—the prosecution alleges the object is a gun—and the other individual is seen pushing him off the moped. The other individual then got onto the bike and fled the scene, and Fisher is seen walking away on foot.  

The pre-sentence report provided to the court recommended a sentencing range of 72-to-120 months based on the facts of the case, the defendant’s criminal history, and comparison to other cases of similar nature. 

The prosecution asked for the top of the guidelines: a sentence of 120 months, with three years of supervised release. The prosecutor argued that this would be the defendant’s fourth felony conviction, and that he has shown a pattern of increased violence within his criminal history. 

The victim appeared in court and spoke on his own behalf, stating that the incident led to a tough time for the victim, as the moped the defendant stole was critical to his job as a delivery driver. Without the moped, the victim couldn’t work, and because he had just gotten back from vacation, he was having financial difficulties. 

Defense attorney John Sample stated that he saw Fisher show genuine remorse for his actions, and he acknowledges the fear and difficulty that he caused. He has taken accountability, and pleaded guilty to the offense. 

Sample said that he can’t sidestep the criminal history of the defendant, but clearly Fisher is making an effort to get better. 

The defendant’s biggest regret, according to Sample, is that he won’t be able to see his daughter. She is currently staying with his sister, which he thought was best for her. 

Sample and Fisher also denied that the defendant was holding a gun during the offense. Fisher claims he was holding a speaker box, and Sample stated that the prosecution did not do any work to enhance the video to confirm whether the defendant was in fact, holding a gun during the offense. 

Fisher apologized to the victim, stating that he knew what he had put him through financially. Fisher also discussed how his mother passed, and how he was alone and basically homeless at the time of the offense. Fisher claimed his actions were to help feed and take care of his daughter.

“I felt the pressure on me,” Fisher stated. 

The victim, still present in the courtroom, took the opportunity to respond to the defendant, stating that after Fisher stole the scooter, the victim still had to make the payments for it, adding an additional financial burden. 

Fisher responded saying that he understands where the victim is coming from, and that he’s been in that position before and knows what he put the victim through. Fisher acknowledged that he took his financial support, and he said he was, “truly sorry.”

Judge Hertzfeld questioned how it’s okay for Fisher to take that out on a person he doesn’t know. 

Hertzfeld stated that Fisher disrupted the victim’s life, and that he is already benefiting from the plea deal, which lowered the charge against him from armed to unarmed carjacking.  

Judge Hertzfeld sentenced Fisher to ten years, with three years supervised release.

No further dates have been set.