A homicide defendant in a gangland case alerted DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan of his intent to withdraw a guilty plea on Aug. 27 and requested a new attorney due to undisclosed conflicts.
On May 30, Ronald Henderson, 20, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy for his involvement in two separate shootings – one of which resulted in the death of 16-year-old Justin Johnson and the injury of two additional individuals on May 26, 2022. The other was a non-fatal shooting that injured two individuals on Jan. 2, 2023. Both shootings occurred on the 2200 block of Savannah Terrace, SE.
As part of his plea agreement, all remaining charges against Henderson were dropped, and the two parties agreed on a sentencing range of 18-to-23 years, followed by five years of supervised release.
While no official motion to withdraw has been submitted, Judge Ryan clarified that, if approved, the withdrawal would be a violation of the original plea agreement. Additionally, Henderson’s withdrawal would result in further charges being brought against him.
If Henderson were to cancel his plea, co-defendants in his case might face issues relating to their own plea agreements. Derricko Johnson, 21, Daveon Robinson, 19, and Demarco Robinson, 21, all accepted a similar plea agreement relating to incidents that occurred between April 2022 and July 2023. These incidents stem from their involvement in the “Get Back Gang” (GBG), which prosecutors claim carried out assaults and murders of gang rivals.
According to the co-defendants’ plea agreement, “If any of these со-defendants fail to enter a guilty plea or successfully withdraws his plea before your client is sentenced, this agreement and any proceedings pursuant to this agreement may be withdrawn or voided at the sole discretion of the [prosecution].”
Parties are slated to reconvene Sept. 5.
