Washington, D.C. – A 19-year-old District man, Joshua Holifield, was sentenced to a total of 23 years in prison for his role in the fatal shootings of William Newman and Marcus Whitaker on June 28, 2007, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor announced today.

Holifield received his sentence on Friday, October 3, 2008, after pleading guilty on July 11, 2008, to two counts of Voluntary Manslaughter while Armed.

At the plea hearing, Holifield admitted that on June 28, 2007, he and his cousin, Marcus Whitaker, met William Newman and a fourth man outside an apartment building at 3620 22nd Street, SE, Washington, D.C. Holifield and Mr. Whitaker had previously arranged the meeting for the purported purpose of selling a gun to the fourth man. In fact, however, Holifield and Mr. Whitaker went to the location intending to rob the fourth man and Mr. Newman of the expected purchase money. When the four men met outside the apartment building, Holifield and Mr. Whitaker announced that they were robbing the fourth man and Mr. Newman, while Holifield displayed a handgun. The fourth man, who was also armed at the time, pulled out a handgun, and the parties exchanged gunfire.

During the gunfight, Holifield intentionally fired his gun in the direction of and at the fourth man and Mr. Newman, and the fourth man fired his gun back at Holifield and Mr. Whitaker. Holifield fired numerous shots, three of which struck Mr. Newman in the back and one of which struck Mr. Newman in the left forearm. The fourth man shot Mr. Whitaker once in the hip. Holifield and the fourth man fled. Mr. Newman and Mr. Whitaker died as a direct result of the gunshot wounds they sustained. Two days later, the police stopped a car in which Holifield was riding and discovered that he was carrying a gun in his pants’ pocket. Ballistic tests establish that the gun found on Holifield was the same gun used to kill Mr. Newman.

At Friday’s sentencing hearing, Associate Judge Geoffrey Alprin sentenced Holifield to consecutive prison sentences of 14 years for causing the death of Mr. Newman and 9 years for causing the death of Mr. Whitaker.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Taylor commended the work of Detectives Manual Gaffney and Gail Russell-Brown of the Violent Crime Branch, and Technician Stanley Rembish of the Mobile Crime Unit. He also commended Paralegal Specialist Sandra Lane and Victim Witness Advocates Marcey Rinker and Yvonne Bryant. Finally, he commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Pat Martin, who investigated and prosecuted the case.