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By
D.C. Witness Staff
- September 21, 2020
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Suspects
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After a defendant spent four month at the DC Jail, a DC Superior Court judge decided to release the defendant on time served for his offenses.
Riaz Noory, 29, was originally charged with assault with intent to commit first-degree sexual abuse, threat to kidnap or injure a person and assault with a dangerous weapon. On Sept. 21, he pleaded guilty to simple assault, attempted possession of a prohibited weapon and attempted threats to do bodily harm.
Judge Juliet McKenna sentenced the defendant to 180 days plus 18 months of probation for the simple assault charge. Judge McKenna also sentenced the defendant to 120 days, all of which were suspended, plus 18 months of probation for attempted threats. Noory was also sentenced to 180 days, all of which were suspended, plus 18 months of probation for attempted possession.
The sentences for simple assault and attempted threats will run concurrently. The sentence for attempted possession will run consecutively to each of the other two sentences.
He was released from DC Jail on Sept. 21 after receiving credit for time served.
On March 26, Noory entered an apartment on the 1300 block of 4th Street, SE that the victim was visiting and punched him in the face. The victim tried to escape, but the defendant chased him through the apartment with scissors, according to court documents. Noory cornered the victim in a closet and threatened to harm him if he did not take off his clothes and bend over.
“Fear and retreat wasn’t enough for Mr. Noory,” the prosecutor said. “Even after getting his pound of flesh that he thought he was owed, it wasn’t enough.”
Two witnesses pulled Noory off the victim and the defendant fled the apartment, the documents state.
The second incident occurred on May 22, when Noory threatened to harm another driver on the 1000 block of Delaware Avenue, SW. Noory exited his vehicle and started yelling at the second victim in front of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers.
While in DC Jail, Noory encountered several hardships, including the unexpected death of his brother and being attacked by several inmates, his defense attorney Richard Finci said.
“No one should endure the karma that fell upon my client,” Finci continued. “He has been punished in an unexpected and extreme way.”
On Aug. 2, Noory’s younger brother and two close friends of the defendant drowned in a boating accident on the Potomac River, counsel said.
The defendant was released for 24 hours to attend the funeral. Finci said his client was only given one day to mourn with his family, which wasn’t enough time for members of his culture to grieve. The lawyer said Noory’s family were prominent members of the Afghan community.
Two weeks later Noory’s grandmother passed away from the coronavirus. He was not allowed to attend the funeral.
While held in jail, Noory was also attacked by two inmates. He suffered a broken nose and a fractured cheekbone. The defendant has been held in protective custody for the past two weeks as a result of the attack.
Finci said Noory began to experience psychogenic nonepileptic seizures that landed him in the hospital on two separate occasions. According to an article published on the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s website, the seizures “may appear similar to epilepsy but are caused purely by the emotions.”
“You will never see me again if you give me a chance to go home,” Noory told Judge McKenna.
The defendant’s probation conditions include a stay away order from the second victim, not harass, abuse, threaten or stalk (HATS) the first victim, a mental health assessment and anger management program.
“He has learned from his mistakes,” the first victim told the judge during his impact statement. “He should be with his family during this time of healing and grief.”
Noory must also pay $150 to the Crime Victims Compensation Program.