Five co-defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges in a gang-related conspiracy case at an arraignment before DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park on April 1.
Lashawn Washington, 34, Bjarni Cooper, 31, Tyjuan McNeal, 29, Niquan Odumn, 24, and Deionta Person, 28, are charged with conspiracy for their alleged involvement in criminal activity against a rival crew, “Choppa City,” between Feb. 1, 2023, and Jan. 16, 2026.
Washington, Cooper, and McNeal are charged with premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of felony murder while armed, among other charges, for their alleged involvement in the disappearance of 25-year-old Chyna Crawford. She was last seen on the 4000 block of South Capitol Street, NW, on Oct. 23, 2023. Washington is additionally charged with two counts of tampering of physical evidence for her alleged involvement in the same incident.
Prosecutors said Crawford disappeared on Oct. 24, 2023.
Additionally, Cooper is charged with multiple counts of obstruction of justice for allegedly impeding and intimidating a witness with intent to prevent truthful testimony.
Washington, Cooper, McNeal, Odumn, and Person are charged with tampering with physical evidence for their alleged involvement in incidents that occurred citywide between May and December 2023.
Cooper, McNeal, and Person are charged for their alleged involvement in a series of carjackings that occurred in Northwest DC between Oct. 15 and Nov. 1, 2023.
Washington, McNeal, and Person are also charged for their alleged involvement in armed robberies that occurred citywide between Feb. 15, 2023, and April 6, 2023.
McNeal and Odumn face charges for their alleged involvement in a robbery that occurred on May 22, 2023 on the 1000 block of 15th Street, NW.
Cooper, McNeal, and Odumn are charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and other charges for incidents that occurred between May and July 2023.
After the court arraigned all five co-defendantsin the charges against them, and they all pleaded not guilty, defense attorney Andrew Ain asserted McNeal’s Interstate Agreement on Detainers (IAD) rights.
The IAD enables defendants serving sentences in a different jurisdiction than the one where they face charges to go to trial within 180 days of the prosecutors receiving the defendant’s trial request. Defendants may also request not to be returned to their original place of confinement before trial.
The prosecutor said they did not think the case would be able to go to trial within 180 days.
Camille Wagner, Person’s attorney, said Person is not asserting his IAD rights, though he is also serving a sentence outside DC.
The prosecutor said they did not request that any of the defendants transferred to the DC Jail because separation orders for the defendants would complicate their housing.
Person, McNeal, and Odumn are being held outside DC as they serve sentences for unrelated matters, while Washington and Cooper are being held at DC Jail, according to the prosecutor.
Parties are slated to reconvene April 15 to discuss McNeal’s IAD concerns.
