Victims Address Defendant At Sentencing

By D.C. Witness Staff - September 24, 2020
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Victims |

A DC Superior court judge sentenced a defendant on theft and financial exploitation charges.

Judge Robert Solerno sentenced Jasmine Worthy to serve a total of 60 days at DC Jail followed by 15 years of probation. She must also pay a total of $58,465 in restitution.

Worthy, 55, was sentenced in three cases during the Sept. 23 hearing. 

In her first case, Judge Solerno sentenced the defendant to serve 30 days for the financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult or elderly person. 

In her second case, Worthy will serve 15 days for each of three second-degree theft charges, and five days for the fourth. In her third case, she will serve 15 days for second-degree theft.

The sentences in each case will run consecutively.

“[The defendant’s actions are] so calculating, so callus [and] caused so much pain,” the prosecutor said during the Sept. 23 hearing.

The prosecution recounted how Worthy conned several vulnerable adults out of thousands of dollars. Worthy promised the victims apartments, but none received what was promised, nor did they receive refunds. 

The money transferred to Worthy was funneled to different bank accounts and used to benefit the defendant. 

Worthy would provide fake names and numbers to the victims when they began to question where their money was going. Worthy would also claim their money was being held by a third party and could not be refunded until the transactions were complete.

One victim, who was pregnant at the time, was evicted with her young daughter and forced to live in a shelter. 

The prosecutor argued how Worthy understood the precarious situations of these victims, occasionally meeting their families and learning about their lives. 

“I looked at Jasmine like family,” one victim said. “We are trying to help our families… all of us should stick together, but instead she hurt us.” 

“I am still facing eviction,” said another victim.

Defense attorney David Richter argued his client had taken responsibility for her crimes early on in the case and that she wants to do the right thing. He argued she has a large support system that would aid her through probation. 

Worthy has been receiving mental health treatment since March and has been diagnosed with cancer. Richter argued serving a lengthy jail sentence could be detrimental to her health and would then prevent her from making restitution payments. 

Judge Solerno set her monthly payments to $960. However, he scheduled a probation review hearing for Sept. 23 of next year to revisit this order. 

Worthy also had an opportunity to address the court and her victims. 

“I’ve listened to every word,” Worthy said. “I’d like to apologize to everyone… I’m not a bad person–I’ve only tried to give my life to helping everyone…I apologize for anything that came off the wrong way.”

She said how she’s carried the weight of many people with her for a long time, but thanks to therapy she has been able to get help. 

“If anything, I hurt me too,” said Worthy. 

Judge Solerno weighed the option of deferring the sentence until Worthy received her biopsy report. However, after conferring with his client, Richter stated to the court that Worthy would like to move forward with the sentencing today. 

“I’m not sure [Worthy] fully gets what she’s done here,” said Judge Solerno. “She describes this as ‘bad choices’ …. She says she feels like a victim.”