District Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison
For Burglaries of Businesses, Non-Profits
- Defendant Stole Laptops In Series of Break-ins -

     WASHINGTON - Robert L. Brown, 48, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to nine years of incarceration on charges stemming from a string of burglaries, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Brown pled guilty in September 2011 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to three counts of second-degree burglary and one count of attempted second-degree burglary. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert E. Morin. Upon completion of his prison term, Brown will be placed on three years of supervised release.

     According to the government’s evidence, Brown carried out a series of break-ins of businesses and non-profits in Northwest Washington.

     On September 4, 2010, at approximately 8 a.m., Brown broke into the Brookings Institution’s office building, in the 1700 block of Massachusetts Avenue NW, by using a tool to pry into the rear security door. He then walked through the building, looking into several offices with the intent to steal laptop computers. A security guard was summoned by a burglar alarm. When Brown heard the guard coming, he yelled, “I have a gun!” and ran away from the building.

     On October 21, 2010, at about 10 p.m., Brown pried open the locked front door of the Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, in the 1600 block of U Street NW, with the intent to steal laptop computers. However, an alarm sounded, and Brown quickly left the scene.

     On February 5, 2011, at approximately 9:20 a.m., Brown approached the rear door of The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, in the 2000 block of Massachusetts Avenue NW. Using a tool, he managed to open the door and enter the building. He ripped off the alarm panel and left moments later. Then, at about 9:45 a.m., he returned and searched through several offices, stealing four laptop computers and two digital cameras.

     Finally, on April 15, 2011, at about 7 p.m., Brown pried open the exterior locked gate at a building in the 1200 block of 31st Street NW, walked across the courtyard, and pried open the locked front door of Union Realty. He then stole a laptop computer and left the premises.

     The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was able to close approximately two dozen additional burglary investigations as part of this case.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the efforts of the MPD officers and investigators who worked on the case, including Detective Keith Tabron. He also expressed his appreciation to Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor McFadden, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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