Homicide Defendant Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison

By Carolyn Flammini , Ayda Atici [former] - January 26, 2024
Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On Jan. 26, DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe accepted a guilty plea deal for a homicide defendant and sentenced him to the recommended 11 years in prison.

Dreaun Young, 19, was originally charged with second-degree murder while armed for his involvement in the shooting of 26-year-old Michael Brittingham on Aug. 6, 2020, on the 600 block of 46th Street, SE.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) located and arrested Young in Hollywood, California for an ongoing rape case, before later finding out that he was wanted for a murder charge in the District. He was extradited to DC on Sept. 20, 2022.

According to court documents, Young and Brittingham knew each other from around the neighborhood, and had become friends. According to witnesses from the night of the incident, there was a dispute between them about money. Brittingham allegedly sold drugs in the area and Young owed him money. According to the documents, the shooting occurred outside of an ice cream truck, in a public place.  

On Aug. 21, 2023, Young accepted a plea offer extended by prosecutors, which required he plead guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed in exchange for a dismissal of all other charges in connection to the killing. The parties agreed on a sentencing range of seven-and-a-half to 11 years incarceration. 

Initially, on January 5, Judge O’Keefe denied Young’s plea agreement and claimed that due to his long history of crimes and violent behavior, he needed a stronger sentence that would be more proportional to his record.

However, after reviewing the evidence, Judge O’Keefe decided to accept the plea offer. He stated that due to the lack of willingness from the prosecution’s witnesses, it had been difficult to try Young. Additionally, he stated that he took the defendant’s age, life experiences and acceptance of accountability into consideration when determining his sentence.

Judge O’Keefe sentenced  Young to 11 years imprisonment plus an additional 5 years supervised release. Joseph Yarbough, Young’s defense attorney, requested that his client be sentenced under the Youth Act, however this request was ultimately denied by the judge, stating that the defendant must serve his time in prison and show he is worthy of being considered for the Youth Act.

The Youth Act gives youth offenders charged with a crime the ability to have their case effectively sealed after successfully completing the required mandates. 

In addition to his sentence, Youth must register as a gun offender, attend anger management courses, grief counseling, and complete his GED. $100 will also be paid to the Violent Crime Fund through the defense.