Judge Continues Hearing for Defendant to Consider Withdrawing Plea

On July 30, a DC Superior Court judge continued a hearing in order for a felony domestic violence defendant to consider withdrawing his guilty plea.

The defendant pleaded guilty to lesser charges of simple assault and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon. He was originally charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and second-degree cruelty to children for throwing one of his nephews to the ground in an argument. The defendant then threatened his sister and her children with a knife.

As part of a plea deal, the prosecution agreed not to seek an indictment on further charges from the incident. The prosecution also agreed to dismiss two other cases, in which the defendant is charged with a bail violation and simple assault.

Judge Dayna Dayson sentenced the defendant to three months of incarceration for the weapons charge, alongside a consecutive sentence of 180 days for the assault charge, all but 90 of which were suspended.

Judge Dayson also sentenced the defendant to three years of supervised probation, conditions of which include complying with mental health and substance abuse assessments as well as stay away orders from the victims.

After the sentence was imposed, the defendant became unhappy with the results. He said that the purpose of him pleading guilty was to be released into the community in the near future. Judge Dayson reiterated that judges do not have to comply with recommended sentences.

After the defendant spoke with his attorney, Steven Ogilvie, he decided that he needed more time to consider withdrawing his guilty plea.

The defendant will appear in court again on Aug. 7 to further discuss his decision regarding the guilty plea.

Judge Holds Five Out of 26 Defendants During Initial Hearings

On July 30, DC Superior Court Judge James Crowell released 21 defendants and held five defendants during initial hearings.

The judge decided to hold a murder defendant, a woman charged with assaulting a police officer, two domestic violence defendants at the DC Jail. Another man was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Carlo General, 20, allegedly shot an 11-year-old child on the 1400 block of Cedar Street, SE on July 4. He was charged with first-degree murder while armed on July 30.

General is also a fugitive from Virginia and was issued multiple bench warrants for not appearing before court in a 2019 case in which he was charged with carrying a pistol without a license.

The prosecution said General picked up his murder case while on supervision by the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) and asked that he be held.

Judge Crowell found there was probable cause for the murder. He held the defendant in both his murder and fugitive cases.

General’s next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 19.

Another defendant charged with assault on a police officer and destruction of property less than $1,000 was released. Jamiah Gray, 29, also known as Jamika Gray, was arrested on July 29 after she allegedly spat on a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer and dented his cruiser.

The prosecution said that Gray is also a fugitive from the state of Maryland where she was charged with assault.

Judge Crowell ordered that she be held in her fugitive case but released on her other case. Maryland has three business days to pick her up from DC Jail.

A defendant was charged with destruction of property less than $1,000 after he allegedly sprayed a fire extinguisher in an apartment on the 4600 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs, NE. He was also charged with assault and unlawful entry in a domestic violence case.

Judge Crowell decided to hold him, citing an extensive criminal history, including ten bench warrants and numerous burglary and simple assault convictions.

Another domestic violence defendant charged with simple assault, destruction of property less than $1,000, second-degree theft, and obstruction of justice was held.

Judge Crowell said the defendant violated a Civil Protection Order by assaulting the victim on July 29 and had done so repeatedly in the past.

He said that GPS monitoring and the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP) both failed to bring the defendant into compliance.

Gabriel Gonzalez allegedly brandished a knife in front of a woman and threatened to kill her on July 29. He was charged with attempted threats to do bodily harm.

Judge Crowell decided to release him on his case, but he was then taken into the custody of ICE for another matter.

Of those released, one was given a citation and released and one had no charges brought against them by the prosecution.

The judge also released seven additional domestic violence defendants with conditions. Six defendants were given stay-away orders and one was given an order not to harass, assault, threaten, or stalk (HATS) the victim.

Four defendants charged with being fugitives from justice were all released. Two had underlying charges in Maryland and two had underlying charges in Virginia. Judge Crowell ordered them all to go to the demanding jurisdictions and turn themselves in to authorities.

Four defendants charged with felonies were also released by Judge Crowell. Three were charged with carrying a pistol without a license outside of a home or business and one was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle. Two were given stay-away orders while the other two were ordered not to possess any firearms in DC. One of the defendants also had two additional cases and was placed on GPS monitoring by the judge.

There were three additional misdemeanor cases. All were released with either stay-away or no HATS orders.

One defendant was brought in under three bench warrants for failing to appear for his hearings. He was released with new court dates in all three cases.

A final defendant charged with a misdemeanor for second-degree theft was still hospitalized, so his hearing was continued to July 31.

Judge Schedules Hearing to Review Evidence in Robbery

On July 29, a DC Superior Court judge scheduled a hearing to determine if a robbery case has enough evidence to go to trial.

Maurice Singletary, 28, is charged with robbery.

Defense attorney Raymond Jones, told Judge Danya Dayson that the prosecution has extended a plea offer. He then requested a hearing to determine if the prosecution has enough evidence against the defendant to go to trial. Jones requested the hearing be scheduled in case Singletary decides he does not want the plea.

After Judge Dayson scheduled the hearing for Aug. 19.

The prosecution also extended the length of the plea offer.

The prosecutor said the plea offer will be officially revoked when the hearing starts.

Domestic Violence Defendant Takes Plea Agreement

On July 30, a defendant reached a plea deal with the prosecution in three domestic violence cases.

Anthony Ward pleaded guilty to attempted threats to do bodily harm in exchange for his charges of contempt, obstruction, simple assault and violating a Court Protective Order (CPO.)

DC Superior Court Judge John McCabe sentenced the defendant to 120 days. Judge McCabe gave the defendant credit for time served, so he will not have to spend any more time in jail.

He also sentenced the defendant to one year of probation, during which he must complete anger management classes and not Harass, Assault, Threaten or Stalk the victim in this case.

The defendant apologized for his actions, saying that he “did not mean what he said” when making the threats.

Document: Police Seek Suspect for Assault on Police Officer

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are seeking the public’s help locating the suspect of an assault on a police officer.

The incident took place on May 31 on the 1600 block of H Street, NW, which is located in the Downtown neighborhood of DC, near Lafayette Square.

At around 12:01 a.m., the suspect, who was captured by a surveillance camera, allegedly threw bricks at multiple police officers and then fled the scene.

Two officers were taken to a hospital for treatment.

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Judge Continues Hearing for Defendant with Compliance Issues

A DC Superior Court judge continued a hearing for a defendant who did not show up to her court hearing.

Stacey Davis, who is also known as Larry Davis, is charged with second-degree burglary for allegedly stealing from a pizza parlor on the 200 block of M Street, SE on May 30.

The July 30 hearing was scheduled to address Davis’s issues complying with her pretrial release conditions. Notices of noncompliance were filed on June 26, July 15 and July 27.

Davis has addressed these issues in court before. On July 16, Davis’ hearing was continued for four weeks to come into compliance with the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA.)

Davis also failed to appear in court on July 6.

Defense attorney Thomas Lester asked for more time to find his client and help bring her into compliance with her release conditions.

“Ms. Davis has a lot of concerns surrounding her housing and her mental health,” Lester said. “I spoke with her probation officer about getting some social services, but I’m not sure if she was connected with those or not.”

The prosecution requested a bench warrant for Davis’s arrest. However, Judge Julie Becker denied the request, instead scheduling another hearing for Aug. 13.

“The case is nonviolent and not as serious as certainly some other cases,” said Judge Becker. “She has not reoffended.”

The prosecution has also made a plea offer available to the defense.

Judge Schedules Assault and Robbery Defendant’s Preliminary Hearing

On July 30, a DC Superior Court judge scheduled a hearing for Aug. 27 to determine if an assault and robbery case has enough evidence to go to trial.

Rayshawn Tillery, 26, is charged with armed robbery and assault with significant bodily injury while armed for allegedly using a knife to cut a victim while taking his belongings on June 6 at the Chinatown Metro Station on the 600 block of H Street, NW.

Defense Attorney Sean Coleman said he couldn’t proceed in the case. He said he still needs to get Tillery his physical case file and Tillery has an unresolved parole warrant.

Coleman asked Judge Danya Dayson if she would be willing to grant Tillery administrative release while he resolved the warrant, but the judge denied the request, saying that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the execution of parole warrants.

Coleman then requested that a preliminary hearing be scheduled for Tillery.

He also mentioned that the prosecution has extended a plea offer, but that he is hesitant to accept it due to the unresolved parole warrant.

The plea offer will officially expire two days before the preliminary hearing.

Defendant Released to High Intensity Supervision Program

On July 30, a DC Superior Court released a defendant facing multiple charges into the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP.)

The defendant is charged with simple assault in two domestic violence cases. He is also charged with contempt for allegedly violating his release conditions, unlawful entry onto private property, possession of a controlled substance and simple assault in two misdemeanor cases.

Judge Judith Pipe decided to release the defendant from pretrial detention. She said that, because of the defendant’s lack of a criminal history, he does not present a risk to the community.

Defendant Pleads Guilty

On July 30, a defendant entered into a plea agreement with the prosecution.

Hiawatha Henry, 28, pleaded guilty to unauthorized use of a vehicle and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence along with the assault with a dangerous weapon.

As part of a plea deal, the prosecution agreed to not indict Henry on further charges from the incident.

He was initially charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for stealing a vehicle from a victim on Dec. 23, 2019, on the 51st Street, NE. He also threatened the same victim with a handgun when a trade for the vehicle was arranged on Dec. 26, 2019, at the intersection of Minnesota Avenue and Ely Place, SE.

Both parties recommended that Henry receive six years of incarceration for the possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. They also suggested that his sentences in the other charges run concurrently to the possession sentence.

Judge Dayna Dayson oversaw the proceedings and accepted Henry’s guilty plea. He will appear before Judge Dayson again on Sept. 24 for sentencing.

Judge Continues Hearing After Defendant Fails to Appear

A DC Superior Court judge continued a hearing for a defendant who failed to appear in court.

Jason Washington is charged with second-degree theft and second-degree burglary for allegedly stealing items from a store on the 4400 block of Benning Road, NE on Dec. 21, 2019, Jan. 20, and Feb. 24. He was arrested for the thefts on April 2.

A hearing was scheduled for July 30 to address Washington’s issues complying with his pretrial release conditions. Notices of noncompliance were filed on May 29, July 16 and July 20.

However, Washington failed to appear at the hearing.

The defendant was released on April 2 with GPS tracking device and the condition that he reports weekly to the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) . He failed to charge his GPS or report to pretrial services.

A PSA officer said that Washington has been rearrested four times in Prince George’s County since his release, which may have contributed to the loss of contact.

Defense attorney Adam Hunter said the loss of contact may also be due to changes in procedure with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I have been having difficulty with not just this client, but all of them, on getting good information including proper addresses and actual cell phone numbers that are working,” Hunter said.

Judge Julie Becker said if the defendant fails to appear at the next hearing, a bench warrant will be issued for his arrest.

Washington’s next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 11.

Defendant Receives One Year of Probation

A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a defendant to one year of probation.

Olonzie Coney pleaded guilty to simple assault, second-degree theft and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon. He was initially charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for spitting on a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer’s face and then pulling out a knife from his pocket during an arrest on March 1 on the 100 block of 19th Street, SE. Coney, 35, was also charged with second-degree theft for stealing from a store on the 700 block of 14th Street, NW.

As part of a plea deal the prosecution agreed to not seek an indictment on further charges in the case.

Judge Dayna Dayson sentenced Coney to 30 days of incarceration with credit for time served in the second-degree theft case. Coney also received a 120-day suspended sentence in the assault case, plus one year of probation.

He will not have to spend any more time behind bars.

Judge Dayson said that she gave Coney this sentence because he has already spent 115 days in jail.

Judge Dayson also ordered that Coney stay away from the places of the incidents and complete substance abuse tests.

Lucas Dansie, Coney’s attorney, said his client’s behavior is a reflection of alcohol dependency and addiction.

Defendant Enters Agreement for Leaving After Colliding

On July 30, a defendant entered into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) for leaving after colliding with another vehicle.

John Dillon, 32, reversed into a vehicle’s front bumper after the victim honked at him for not moving at a green light on the 1900 block of 15th Street, NW, on Oct. 10, 2019.

The defendant must complete a traffic safety program and not violate the law or be arrested on probable cause during the nine month deferment period.

If he completes the requirements, his charge will be dismissed.

DC Superior Court Judge Judith Smith scheduled Dillon to return to court on April 30, 2021, to evaluate his progress.

‘You Saved my Life,’ Defendant Says

A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a defendant to one year of incarceration, all of which was suspended, plus one year of probation.

Cynthia Forth pleaded guilty to attempted distribution of a controlled substance for selling cocaine to undercover officers on the 1700 block of Minnesota Ave, SE on July 24. She also pleaded guilty to bail violations that arose from her failure to appear for court hearings on Oct. 25, 2019, and Jan 30.

Forth received two 90-day sentences that are set to run consecutively to one another for her bail violations. She was also sentenced to six months, which will also run consecutively, for attempted distribution of a controlled substance.

The defendant has been held since Feb. 20 because she violated her pretrial release conditions.

“I was so hurt when you stepped me back, but you saved my life,” the defendant told Judge Judith Smith. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve seen and heard a lot. This is not a place I want my life revolved around.”

As conditions of her probation, the defendant must participate in mental health and substance abuse testing and treatment as directed by the Court Services Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA.) She must also receive specialized supervision by a mental health unit and drug and alcohol testing and treatment if recommended by the CSOSA.

Judge Smith also ordered Forth, 48, to obtain a sponsor through community resources, receive housing assistance and pay $200 to the Victims of Violent Crimes Act fund.

Defense attorney Derrick Page said his client’s bail violations were driven by substance abuse problems, which are no longer an issue.

“She’s clearly got her spark back,” said the prosecutor, who did not ask for further incarceration.

Judge Smith was unable to place the defendant into inpatient treatment due to limitations from the COVID-19 h pandemic.

Page said the defendant has friends and family who will assist her with maintaining sobriety and housing.

“I’m ready to go home and get my life back together,” Forth said.

Judge Orders Mental Competency Examination For Defendant

On July 30, a DC Superior Court judge ordered a mental competency examination for a defendant.

Paul Pearson, 22, is charged with destruction of property less than $1,000, assault with a dangerous weapon, leaving after colliding with property damage and fleeing a law enforcement officer.

Pearson was supposed to undergo a mental competency examination on July 22. Defense attorney Stephen Brennwald said it “simply never happened.”

Judge Michael Ryan said the earliest date a doctor from the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) will be available to conduct the test is Aug. 6.

He set a mental observation hearing for Aug. 7, saying he will accept an oral report because he did not want to wait an additional few days for a physical report.

“He’s been locked up for a month,” said Judge Ryan. “He’s supposed to have the exam last week but that didn’t happen.”

Pearson allegedly smashed a window pane at a bakery on the 500 block of 29th Street, NW on June 6. He was arrested and held at the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) headquarters on the 300 block of Indiana Avenue, NW, where he allegedly tried to strangle a man a day later. Pearson was released on June 8. On June 26, he allegedly fled in his vehicle after it collided with an MPD cruiser on the 5900 Georgia Avenue, NW, according to court documents.

Police Arrest 3rd Suspect for Murder of 11-year-old Boy

On July 29, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers arrested the third of four suspects in the death of an 11-year-old boy.

Carlo General, a 22-year-old resident of Oxon Hill, Md.,was arrested for first-degree murder while armed for his alleged role in the shooting of Davon McNeal on July 4 on the 1400 block of Cedar Street, SE. DC Police do not think that McNeal or anyone in his family was a target.

Earlier this month, DC Superior Court Judge Gerald Fisher issued a bench warrant for General because he failed to show up to a July 15 hearing for pretrial release violation. General was released under the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP) in March 3 for carrying a pistol without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition charges from a 2019 case.

A notice of noncompliance was then filed on March 12, according to DC Courts.

Daryle Bond, 18, and Christian Wingfield, 22, were arrested on July 9 and 10, respectively, for first-degree murder while armed in connection with the shooting.

Police are still searching for Marcel Gordon, a 25-year-old resident of Southeast, DC. He is also wanted for first-degree murder while armed in connection to the Independence Day shooting.

The department along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division and the FBI Washington Field Office is offering a reward of up to $55,000 for information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the suspects in this case.

On top of that, the U.S. Marshals Capital Area Regional Task Force has offered up to $10,000 for each suspect for information leading to their arrest.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s Text Tip Line – 50411.

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Andrea Keckley wrote this article

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