Judge Sentences Robbery Defendant to 40 Months in Prison

By D.C. Witness Staff - November 2, 2020
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects |

On Nov. 2, a DC Superior Court judge sentenced a robbery defendant to a little over three years in prison with 10 months suspended along with two years of probation.

Deangelo Johnson was originally charged with unarmed carjacking, however, it was changed to robbery. 

On June 15, Johnson, 23, pushed a man off of a moped and drove off with the vehicle on the 1100 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. 

“I don’t have medical insurance,” said the victim. “The damage to my head and neck was bad, I could hardly sleep.”

The prosecution recommended a total of three years of incarceration for the defendant because the robbery was planned. Johnson has also been convicted of robbery twice before this incident. 

Defense attorney Matthew Hertz requested that Judge Julie Becker sentence Johnson to 36 months, suspending six of those months. 

“Mr. Johnson admitted to the offense,” said Hertz. “but he does contend that this was something that was planned.”

Johnson apologized to the victim and acknowledged what he did. 

“I take responsibilities for all my actions,” he said. “The government wants to keep talking about my past but I’m in a cell 23 hours a day because of a mistake…I know that’s my fault. Tomorrow is not promised to nobody, I’m in jail with the worst people in the world…I’ve been coming in and out of jail all my life, that’s where I learned everything from…I’m treated like an animal, I pray every night to go back and time to rewind what I did.”

Judge Becker recognized that Johnson was unsuccessful on probation in the past. Therefore, the 10 month suspended sentence will be held over Johnson’s head while he is serving the probation.

While on probation, Johnson will be required to undergo drug testing and treatment along with mental health screening, anger management classes and GPS monitoring.

He must also pay $100 to the Victims of Violent Crime Compensation fund.