In a hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Deborah Israel on July 22, a young defendant accepted a plea deal for gun possession.
Jeremiah Crowder, 18, is charged with carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business for his involvement in a shooting that occurred on May 10 on the 1900 block of 17th Street, SE. No injuries were reported.
According to court documents, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to a call of shots fired.
At the hearing, Crowder accepted a plea offer presented by the prosecution, pleading guilty to the charge against him.
As part of the plea agreement the prosecution agreed to not seek an indictment with greater or additional charges related to the offense. Crowder must also register as a gun offender for two years following his sentence.
According to the prosecution, two witnesses were present at the scene of the crime. The first witness saw Crowder hide a firearm under a mattress, and later return to retrieve it. The second witness provided MPD with security camera footage of the alleyway where the incident took place. In the footage, shots were fired from a group that included Crowder.
While MPD was investigating the crime scene, four casings, and two unspent bullets were collected. Later during the investigation, Crowder returned to the alleyway, and both witnesses identified him as the suspect.
Crowder’s attorney, Charles Haskell, stated that he intended to argue for the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA) in sentencing. The YRA gives the court enhanced flexibility in sentencing for an individual who was under the age of 25 at the time of the crime, and the ability to seal a conviction from public view upon completion of sentencing requirements.
Parties are slated to reconvene for sentencing on Oct. 14.
