Two District Men Convicted of Armed Robbery, Felony Assault
- Victim Was Threatened With Death If He Called Police -

     WASHINGTON - Edvin Ramirez, 24, and Kelvin Parada, 18, both of Washington, D.C., have been convicted by a jury of charges stemming from an armed robbery and assault that took place last spring, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     The jury returned its verdict on December 2, 2011 after a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Both defendants were convicted of charges of armed robbery and felony assault. Ramirez also was convicted of obstruction of justice, felony threats, carrying a dangerous weapon, and possession of a prohibited weapon. The Honorable Ann O. Keary is scheduled to sentence the defendants on February 24, 2012. Under the Court’s voluntary sentencing guidelines, they face at least three years in prison on the armed robbery convictions alone.

     According to the government’s evidence, at about 10:40 p.m. on May 31, 2011, Ramirez and Parada accosted the 25-year-old victim, who did not know them, in the 3100 block of 16th Street NW. When the victim refused Ramirez’s demands for money and ran, Ramirez and Parada chased and grabbed him just before he was about to enter his home. Ramirez then brandished a large kitchen knife and held it to the victim’s neck and side.

     As the victim tried to calm Ramirez down, Ramirez cut him on his thumb. Ramirez and Parada then forced the victim into a nearby park, where they threw him to the ground and robbed him of his belongings. Ramirez then told the victim that they would kill him if he reported the crime to police. They laughed at the victim as they ran from the area.

     Two days later, the victim saw the defendants and others in the 1400 block of Park Road, NW. He flagged down a police officer and the defendants were stopped and later arrested. The knife used in the robbery was found under the steps where they were sitting, and officers later recovered a receipt that had been in the victim’s wallet inside Ramirez’s nearby apartment.

     In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department officers who investigated the case, especially Detective Jose Morales. U.S. Attorney Machen also thanked the agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for their cooperation in the investigation. In addition, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the assistance of Yvonne Bryant and Tanya Via of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit, as well as Paralegal Specialist Tamaya Reid for her work in preparing the case for trial. Finally, he expressed his appreciation to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trevor N. McFadden and Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., of the Third District Unit of the Superior Court Felony Major Crimes Section, who prosecuted the case.

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