District Men Sentenced to Prison Terms
For Carrying Out an Armed Home Invasion
- Gunshot Fired During January 2010 Attack in Northwest Washington -

     WASHINGTON - Jamal Hamilton, 21, was sentenced this week to a 14-year prison term and Samuel Cousin, 37, was sentenced to seven years of incarceration for their roles in an armed home invasion in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.

     Hamilton and Cousin, both of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in December 2011, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of first-degree burglary and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. They were sentenced on Aug. 22, 2012, by the Honorable Ronna L. Beck. Upon completion of their prison terms, both men will be placed on five years of supervised release.

     According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 12, 2010, Hamilton, Cousin, and a third person crafted a plan to burglarize the victim’s apartment and rob him. On a ruse, the third person contacted the victim and made plans to meet him at his apartment. The third person then met the victim at about 1 p.m. at his apartment in the 3500 block of Sixth Street NW. As the victim turned to enter his kitchen, the third person contacted Cousin and Hamilton by phone to let them know that the victim was alone. He then unlocked the front door to the apartment.

     Minutes later, Hamilton and Cousin stormed into the apartment, and the third person ran out. Hamilton was armed with a loaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun, and Cousin was wearing a mask over his face. Hamilton and Cousin ordered the victim to get on the floor and proceeded to rob him of cash, the keys to his car, which was parked nearby, and other items. They then forced the victim into his bedroom and ordered him to get on the floor there. Hamilton then fired a gunshot toward the victim’s head. The victim was not struck.

     Hamilton and Cousin then fled the scene in the victim’s car. They were apprehended by police the next day while driving the stolen vehicle from Washington, D.C. into Maryland. Police found a handgun in the back of the car, and a ballistics comparison indicated that it had been used to fire an expended cartridge located inside the victim’s bedroom after the burglary.

     In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Machen expressed his appreciation to the detectives and officers who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Donville Drummond and Bridget Harris, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Cormac Connor, who indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Sahaf, who handled the plea hearings and sentencing.

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