Search Icon Search site

Search

Key Witness Testifies Against Drug Associate in Double Homicide Trial 

On June 20, prosecutors brought forth a key witness to testify about his business with a double homicide defendant during a trial presided over by DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keef.

Beysean Jones, 29, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder while armed and assault with intent to kill while armed for his alleged involvement in the shootings of Ronald Brown, 19, and Tijuan Wilson, 41. The incident occurred on July 27, 2022, on the 4300 block of 4th Street, SE. Wilson’s wife sustained gunshot wounds during the incident but survived. 

An acquaintance of Jones said the defendant had been regularly selling marijuana and guns out of the southeast quadrant of DC, prior to the shooting. 

Having met Jones in February of 2022, the witness testified that they quickly became business associates in selling marijuana, adding that he would buy marijuana from Jones and resell it at a higher price. The witness said he only knew as “Chad,” the alias Jones gave when they were introduced.

The witness recounted learning of a drive-by shooting that occurred in July 2022, where Chad was shot at with his wife and children in the car. After the shooting, the witness testified that Chad said he was “equipping” himself for what the witness assumed was retaliation.

According to the witness, on July 27, 2022, he met Chad at an apartment complex to pick up half a pound of marijuana that he was planning to sell. Chad presented the witness with a duffel bag of guns, including an AR-15, ghost guns, and a .38-caliber pistol.

The witness said Jones offered one of the guns to him. 

After declining the weapons, the witness said he retrieved the marijuana and left. Later that night, he learned of a shooting that occurred on the 4300 block of 4th Street, SE, which was down the street from the apartment where he met Chad. 

Several days later, the witness testified, he reached out to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to leave an anonymous tip regarding the interactions he had with Chad. 

According to the witness, he was worried he might be implicated in the crime, as he had held the AR-15 Chad had shown them. 

“I just got home, I don’t wanna go back,” the witness stated about his fear, referring to his previously served prison time.  

Court is set to reconvene on June 24.

Judge Pushes Hearing to Review Additional Evidence in Fatal Shooting Case

DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun granted a newly appointed defense attorney’s request for extra time to review additional evidence provided by the prosecution during a hearing on June 24. 

Jaime Macedo, 23, is charged with felony murder while armed, robbery while armed, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction for his involvement in the fatal shooting of Maxwell Emerson, 25, on July 5, 2023. The incident occurred at Catholic University on the 600 block of Alumni Lane, NE.

At the hearing, Macedo’s defense attorney, Jessica Willis, stated that she received evidence last night consisting of Grand Jury statements and body-worn camera footage from the prosecution.

Parties are set to return on July 26. 

Judge Allows Defendant’s Past Acts As Evidence in Domestic Violence Case

After parties deliberated over a “prior bad acts” motion in a domestic violence case, DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt allowed the defendant’s prior crimes to be submitted as evidence during a June 20 hearing. 

Devan Green, 30, is accused of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with intent to kill while armed for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal stabbing that occurred on Sept. 19, 2023, on the 500 block of 58th Street, NE. According to court documents, an argument ensued between the victim and Green, during which she was stabbed 21 times resulting in injuries that sent her to the hospital. 

During Thursday’s hearing, the prosecution argued that Green’s previous assault convictions and allegations are relevant to this case because it does not show a propensity to violent behavior, but rather provides context to the defendant and victim’s relationship and serves as motive for his violent behavior in this incident. 

Lee A. Smith, the defense attorney for Green, countered that because Green sustained an injury during the altercation that his violent behavior was done in self defense. Smith claimed that providing the jury with his previous crimes will pose prejudicial to Green. 

After further consideration, Judge Brandt determined that previous evidence of aggressive conduct towards a person is relevant when there’s a claim of self defense. The court determined that any information provided to the jury is “not clean under any situation” and the court will take steps to minimize prejudice. 

Parties are slated to return July 19. 

Judge Expresses Frustration Over Lengthy Proceedings in Armed Carjacking  Case

 DC Superior Court Judge Renee Raymond continued a preliminary hearing on June 21 for a carjacking defendant.

Carlos Shelley, 29, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction and unarmed carjacking on Dec. 18, 2023, on the 5000 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW. He is also charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in a domestic violence-related incident. 

Shelley’s defense attorney, Christen Romero Philips, requested the prosecution dismiss the assault with a deadly weapon charge because of previous contradicting witness statements. The prosecution agreed to dismiss the charge.

Philips then requested a continuance because the assault with a deadly weapon charge was dropped.

Concerned about the prolonged duration of the case, which had been over six months, Judge Raymond stressed the need to move the proceedings forward without further delay. 

She made it clear that this would be the final continuance and their next meeting would either be a hearing or the defendant would waive his preliminary rights. 

Parties are set to reconvene on June 27.

Judge Denies Defendant’s Request to Remove GPS Monitor

DC Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno denied Sebastian Fonseca-Gomez’s modification request to remove his GPS monitor while released in a June 21 hearing.

Fonseca-Gomez, 26, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon after allegedly stabbing a victim at the intersection of 7th Street and A Street, NE on May 15. According to court documents, the victim had three stab wounds and described the attack weapon as being identical to the folding knife that Fonseca-Gomez surrendered to police.

During the hearing, Judge Salerno confirmed that a stay away order remains in place and the GPS monitor, being the “least restrictive” method of restraint, continues to be appropriate due to the stab wound allegations of the offense.

The prosecution and defense attorney remain involved in plea negotiations. Parties are set to return Aug. 2.

Detective Testifies about Unconstitutional Search Warrants

A retired Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective, who served as the lead investigator in Eugene Burns‘ 2015 homicide case, gave testimony on June 21 about his role in obtaining search warrants that an appeals court later found to be unconstitutional.

Burns, 32, was convicted of first-degree murder while armed, carrying a pistol without a license, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in 2017. The case was reopened on appeal in 2020.

Burns allegedly shot his best friend, 24-year-old Onyekachi Emmanuel Osuchukwu III, on Nov. 15, 2015, on the 2900 block of Second Street, SE.

During Friday’s hearing,, DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo said Burns’ defense attorneys, Rosemary Szanyi and Jocelyn Wiesner, had filed a motion to dismiss evidence from the case.

In response to that motion, the prosecution called, as a witness, the former lead detective on the case who retired in April of 2020. 

The detective testified that he submitted affidavits to a judge in November of 2015 to obtain search warrants for cell phones the MPD obtained from witnesses at the scene of the incident. According to the detective, the judge signed the warrants ten days after the incident, and MPD officers subsequently extracted information from the phones.

The detective said he questioned additional witnesses after submitting the affidavits but before the judge signed the search warrants.

He said he didn’t revise the affidavits after the interviews because he believed the affidavits provided probable cause for searching the phones.  He said he would have revised them if the judge had declined the warrants.

In cross-examination, Wiesner asked the detective if he had heard, in March of 2020, that an appeals court had ruled the search warrants unconstitutional. 

He replied that he had not.

The detective explained that he was diagnosed with Covid-19 and placed on extended leave until his retirement a month later during that timeframe.

The prosecution announced that they plan to call a current MPD homicide detective who submitted new affidavits to search the cell phones after the first search warrants were deemed unconstitutional. 

Parties are scheduled to reconvene on June 25.

Document: Fatal Northwest Homicide Stabbing Suspect Arrested

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has made an arrest in reference to a homicide that occurred on April 5 on the 1300 block of Peabody Street NW.

Fasil Teklemariam, 53, was found dead due to stab wounds.

On June 21, police arrested 19-year-old Audrey Miller, extraditing her from Hagerstown, Md. She was charged with first-degree murder while armed-felony murder.

Document: Police Arrests Suspect in Shooting Homicide

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has made an arrest in reference to a homicide that occurred on June 20. 

Marcellus Jackson, 21, was found dead on scene due to a gunshot wound on the 4400 block of Hunt Place NE.

On June 20, police arrested 32-year-old Antonio Johnson charging him with second-degree murder while armed.

Defendant Accused of Carjacking FBI Agent Found Competent to Stand Trial

A carjacking defendant was found mentally competent to stand trial based on a report from the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) received by DC Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro, during a June 21 hearing.

Devonta Lynch, 18, is charged with unarmed carjacking, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in an incident involving an FBI agent that occurred on Nov. 29, 2023, on the 100 block of 12th Street, NE.

According to court documents, two individuals, one of whom was identified as Lynch, knocked a woman to the ground and demanded her keys and phone while pointing a handgun at her. The victim, unbeknownst to the defendant at the time, is an FBI agent. The victim fought back in the attack and was injured. Along with her phone and keys, ammunition in the back of her car was also stolen. 

At the hearing, Judge Di Toro deemed Lynch competent to stand trial based on a report from DBH dated June 20. 

In light of that finding, defense attorney, Lisbeth Saperstein, requested additional time to discuss other concerns contained in the report, separate from competency, that needed to be addressed with Lynch. 

Lynch declined to make a statement, however Saperstein stated that Lynch had been cooperative while at the jail and was working hard to better himself. Saperstein also pointed out Lynch’s mother was present in court to support him.

The court will reconvene on Aug. 13.

Shooting Defendants Reject Wired Plea Offer 

Shooting co-defendants rejected a wired plea deal extended by prosecutors before DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun during a June 21 hearing. 

Daquawn Lubin, 29, and Jonathan Young, 34, are charged with conspiracy, two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, aggravated assault while armed, and four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, for their alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting that injured two individuals. The incident occurred on July 24, 2023 on the 4600 block of Benning Road, SE.

At the hearing, the prosecutor alerted Judge Okun they had extended a wired plea deal, which required both defendants to agree to the terms for it to be valid. According to the prosecutor, the plea deal required Lubin and Young to plead guilty to aggravated assault while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, in exchange for a dismissal of all other charges. 

Kevin O’Sullivan, Lubin’s defense attorney, and Cheryl Stein, Young’s attorney, told Judge Okun they were both rejecting the plea deal. 

Parties are slated to reconvene Oct. 18. 

Judge Sentences Homicide Defendant to 135 Months 

DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun sentenced a homicide defendant to 135 months of incarceration, as agreed upon through a plea deal, on June 21. 

Anthony Lewis, 25, was originally charged with first-degree murder while armed for his involvement in the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Cameron Clemons. The incident occurred on the 600 block of Otis Place, NW, on May 18, 2022.

Clemons died of fungal pneumonia on June 4, 2022, as a result of the gunshot wound.

On Jan. 18, Lewis accepted a deal which required him to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed in exchange for the prosecution not seeking an indictment. 

During the hearing, prosecutors and Lewis’ defense attorney, Julie Swaney, requested Judge Okun accept the agreement they had reached, stating 11 years and three months of incarceration was sufficient for Lewis based on his criminal history and the nature and circumstances of the event. 

The prosecution read a short statement from Clemons’ mom, in which she told the court, “I look forward to death as a result of this nightmare,” stating the loss of her son had been too much to handle. 

Likewise, Clemons’ grandmother stated that Lewis, “would never understand what it’s like to birth your baby and watch your child die.” She added Lewis is unaware of the “devastation and destruction” he imposed on their family and community. 

According to the prosecution, Clemons was a by-stander in a shootout that occurred between Lewis and a group of individuals at the location, and was merely “caught in the crossfire.”

The prosecution told Judge Okun that, of the 40 shots fired during the incident, 10 were fired by Lewis. However, she commended him for taking responsibility and admitting to overreacting in the situation. 

“His fear did not justify his actions,” said the prosecutor, stating that Lewis, who was on probation for a prior gun conviction at the time of the incident, believed to be in danger as he conversed with a group of individuals.

“He didn’t learn his lesson,” stated the prosecutor, insisting that, although he got rid of the murder weapon, there was a firearm in his grandmother’s house at the time of his arrest. 

They requested he not be sentenced under the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA), which seals a young defendant’s conviction when and if they successfully complete all sentencing requirements. 

However, Swaney asked Judge Okun to grant the sentence under the YRA, stating he has no felony convictions, and “really did want to take responsibility” for his actions. 

According to Swaney, the conversation with the group stemmed from a prior negative interaction between an individual in the group and Lewis’ sister. “He acted in an attempt to protect his sister,” Swaney claimed. 

“He is still developing,” Swaney said regarding the YRA, adding that everyone who knows Lewis “see[s] a lot of potential in him.”

She argued it would be beneficial, for Lewis and the community, if he is sentenced under the YRA to ensure he has a better chance of employment and life. “YRA [sentence] is not something you just get, you earn it,” claimed Swaney, arguing Lewis had put in the effort and work to earn a sentence under it. 

“I take full responsibility for my actions,” Lewis told Judge Okun, adding “what happened to [Clemons] is very unfortunate.”

“An innocent person lost his life,” insisted Judge Okun, adding that Clemons was merely a bystander in the incident. However, he stated, he agreed “a sentencing at the middle of the range is appropriate,” and would approve the parties’ proposed sentence. 

Lewis was sentenced to 135 months of incarceration, and was ordered to register as a gun offender, and participate in anger management, mental health and substance abuse assessments and treatment.

“This is a very serious offense,” Judge Okun said, adding “but I see some real potential in you… I hope you can turn things around.”

No further dates were set.

Stabbing Defendant Released, Despite Probable Cause Finding

DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt released a stabbing defendant as he awaits further proceedings, during a June 21 hearing. 

Dennis James Bowler, 56, is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed for his alleged involvement in a stabbing on May 24 at his apartment on the 3000 block of Rodman Street, NW. One individual sustained injuries during the incident.

According to court documents, Bowler asked the victim if he had drugs and the victim said no, causing Bowler to ask him to leave. The victim then tried to retrieve a drug tablet in the apartment, which led to an altercation in which the victim allegedly hit Bowler in the head with a toilet tank cover. Bowler then allegedly stabbed the victim multiple times and the victim attempted to leave but the door was jammed. Eventually both left the apartment building. 

On June 18, Judge Brandt found that the prosecution presented sufficient evidence establishing probable cause the defendant may be the perpetrator. 

At the hearing, parties discussed whether or not to release the defendant as he awaits further proceedings.

Defense attorney Jason Clark laid out a release plan that included the defendant’s being released into a specialization unit at Pathways, which is a transitional employment program, and getting in contact with Veteran Affairs (VA) for mental health help, and finding new housing as the incident took place at his apartment. 

Additionally, Clark pointed out that Bowler has been compliant thus far with Pathways’ home visits. 

In response, the prosecution argued that Bowler was already receiving help from Pathways at the time of the incident and that did not stop it from occurring, citing his previous conviction in a non-fatal stabbing in 2018. 

The prosecution claimed that the circumstances involving the 2018 case and the current case are “disturbingly similar.” Both involved the victim being invited into the defendant’s home and getting stabbed over a “perceived slight.” 

Additionally, Bowler has had many misdemeanor cases and a few assault cases in the early 2000’s, according to the prosecution. They argued that no accommodations can be made to keep the community safe. 

In response, Judge Brandt said that Bowler’s prior criminal history has the common factor of alcohol, and she will not judge him based on convictions over the past 30 years. 

“This case is lukewarm,” Judge Brandt said, citing law enforcement’s lacking investigation in the past month.

Judge Brandt argued parties failed to provide sufficient information or evidence to help on her decision.

Ultimately, Judge Brandt decided that Bowler will be released on strict conditions, including complying with his Pathways mental health regimen, going to the VA for additional mental health programs, wearing a GPS ankle monitor, and checking in with the Specialized Supervision Treatment program (SST) at the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA). 

Additionally, Bowler is ordered not to take drugs or drink alcohol.

Parties will meet again July 11 to ensure Bowler is following his release conditions.

Judge Denies Stabbing Defendant’s Request For Release

DC Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein denied a stabbing defendant’s request for release, after his re-arrest on a bench warrant due to his failure to appear, during a June 18 hearing.

Curtis Dupree, 35, is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed for his alleged involvement in a stabbing that occurred on Nov. 4, 2022 on the 3100 block of 16th Street, NW. 

According to court documents, the incident involved a dispute between an individual, identified as Dupree, and the victim that ended with the defendant’s allegedly stabbing the victim and then fleeing the scene. The two individuals involved were romantically involved and had known each other for approximately 18 months. The victim was able to recover after hospitalization.

On May 28, Dupree was picked up on a bench warrant that was issued for him when he missed a scheduled court date in October of 2023. 

During the hearing, Dupree’s defense attorney, Christen Romero, told the court that Dupree had been in the hospital and needed hand surgery, but was worried about losing his housing at the Christ House shelter, if he had to stay overnight at the hospital. 

Dupree admitted to being overwhelmed by the decision and said that is why he did not show up to court. 

Romero requested Dupree be released to live with his mother as he awaits trial, arguing that he has not committed crimes while released, and insisting he would comply with all conditions.

Additionally, Romero said the prosecution has not yet filed an indictment, despite being past the nine month deadline. She argued Dupree should be released until an indictment is filed.

The prosecution responded that since he was on a bench warrant, the nine month indictment clock stopped and they were no longer held to that commitment. 

Judge Epstein sided with the prosecution and denied Dupree’s request for release. 

Parties will reconvene July 12.