District Man Sentenced To 56 Months In Prison For Attacking Two People In Robberies Last Fall-One Victim Is A Senior Citizen, The Other Is A News Producer-

     WASHINGTON – Shabazz Thompson, 20, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 56 months in prison on charges stemming from two robberies that took place in Northeast Washington within a three-week period last fall, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Thompson pled guilty in December 2013 to robbery and other charges in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert I. Richter. Upon completion of his prison term, Thompson will be placed on three years of supervised release.

     According to the government’s evidence, the first attack took place on Sept. 27, 2013 at about 3 p.m. Thompson approached an 81-year-old woman at a check-cashing store in the 600 block of H Street NE. The victim, who suffers from arthritis, had just cashed her retirement check. As she was collecting her belongings, Thompson robbed her of her money, grabbing $789. The victim fell down when she tried to prevent him from escaping.

     The second attack occurred at about 4:20 a.m. on Oct. 17, 2013. The victim, a producer for CNN, was walking to work in the 800 block of First Street NE when Thompson and an unidentified male approached him. Thompson punched the victim in the face, and he and the other male took his belongings, including his wallet, cell phone, and backpack, which contained his laptop. The victim fell to the ground, bleeding profusely; his jaw had been fractured and his sinus was crushed, leading to severe nasal injuries.

     About 25 minutes after the robbery, Thompson used the victim’s credit card at a convenience store. Surveillance video shows him using the card. Thompson was arrested in both cases on Oct. 31, 2013.

     Thompson pled guilty to attempted robbery in the first attack. He pled guilty to charges of robbery and assault with significant bodily injury in the second attack.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), especially the detectives from the First Police District who investigated the case. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Donville Drummond and Assistant U.S. Attorney James A. Petkun, who prosecuted the matter.