WASHINGTON - An 18-year-old District of Columbia youth, Michael Jenkins, pled guilty today before the Honorable Harold L. Cushenberry, Jr. in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of Aggravated Assault while Armed, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor announced. At sentencing, which is scheduled for February 18, 2009, Jenkins faces a maximum sentence of 30 years of imprisonment and/or $10,000 fine. Under sentencing guidelines, he faces a likely sentencing range of 48 to 132 months in prison.

The defendant, who was 17 at the time of the offense and charged as an adult, admitted during today’s plea proceedings that on July 16, 2008, at approximately 1:13 a.m., the victim rode his bicycle to a convenience store located at 1211 Mt. Olivet Road in the Trinidad area of Northeast Washington, D.C. Once he arrived, he left his bicycle on the sidewalk in front of the store’s entrance and bought potato chips and a drink from inside the store. A few short minutes later, he left the store and ate the chips on the sidewalk beside his bicycle. He then picked up his bicycle, remounted it and rode off. Michael Jenkins ran after him and fired an assault rifle at the victim four to five times. One of the shots struck the victim in the left upper thigh causing serious bodily injury. The defendant then jumped into a vehicle with other individuals and fled the scene.

On October 3, 2008, the defendant was arrested and interviewed about the shooting. The defendant confessed to shooting the victim and that he did so in retaliation for the shooting death of his friend, Rob Mallory, because the victim was affiliated with the people who killed his friend. He also told the police that he fled the scene in a white car with the rifle after the shooting.

In connection with this matter, the police obtained surveillance footage of July 16, 2008, from the convenience store which captured portions of the incident. Amongst other things, it showed the victim arriving at the convenience store, placing his bicycle on the sidewalk and entering the store. It then showed the victim leave the store with his bicycle and the defendant, armed with an assault rifle, run after him.

In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Taylor praised the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, including Detectives Dexter Martin, Randal Parker, Darin March, Jonathan Clingerman, Wanda Harris and Anthony Commodore; Firearms Examiner Michael Mulderig; and, Officers Wilfredo Amaya, Andre Ivey, Israel Ruiz, Deborah Tyler, Lashay Makal, and Darrell Young. He also praised the work of Paralegal Specialist Antoinette Sakamska of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Finally, Mr. Taylor commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana Fulton, who is prosecuting the case.