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By
Azziah Hunter [former]
- November 7, 2022
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Shooting
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Suspects
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Victims
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During a hearing on Nov. 4, co-defendants Kenneth Swann, 19, and Marquelle Hodges, 18, accepted a global plea offer from prosecution.
Swann and Hodges were originally charged with second-degree murder in connection to the homicide of 17-year-old Damari Deon Wright that occurred on July 9 on the 3500 block of Hayes Street NE.
Swann pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed for a sentence of 10 years in prison with five years on supervised release. The maximum penalty for voluntary manslaughter is 30 years in prison and/or a fine of $250,000, according to the DC Superior Court Sentencing Commission’s Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines.
Hodges pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of accessory after the fact with the intent to kill while armed and carrying a pistol without a license.
Hodges’ plea term was not decided. He must wait until sentencing to find out his term length. According to the guidelines, Hodges could face a maximum of 15 years in prison and/or a $37,000 fine for the accessory charge and 5 years in prison and/or a $12,500 fine for the gun charge.
“The amount of time in the plea is not appropriate,” the prosecutor read from the victim’s mother’s impact statement. The whole family believes the defendants would still be a danger to the community when they are released, he said.
After taking everything into consideration, DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun accepted the pleas.
The next hearing is scheduled for Feb. 17, 2023.