Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Kidnapping
In Recent Attack Against Ex-Girlfriend
-Neighbors Heard Victim’s Screams, Alerted the Police-

      WASHINGTON - Kareem Johnson, 37, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to a charge of attempted kidnapping stemming from an attack against his ex-girlfriend earlier this fall at her apartment in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.

      Johnson pled guilty on Oct. 19, 2012 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced Dec. 18, 2012 by the Honorable Thomas J. Motley. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, although the District’s voluntary sentencing guidelines call for a lesser sentence.

      According to the government’s evidence, Johnson approached the victim outside her apartment on the afternoon of Sept. 27, 2012. They previously had been involved romantically. She had been granted a protective order against Johnson and, as of that date, there were two criminal cases pending against him: one for allegedly assaulting her, and one for allegedly violating the protective order. The order called for Johnson to stay away from the victim and apartment.

      Johnson initially said that he wanted to talk with the victim to see whether she would drop the two cases against him.  She agreed to talk with him inside her apartment. During the conversation, however, he became angry, handcuffed her, and threw an electric fan at her, hitting her in the head.  He then picked up his belt and put it around her neck, tightening it until she felt dizzy and nearly passed out. Using the belt, he dragged her into her bedroom and punched her in the face. The victim eventually managed to escape and ran out of the apartment. Johnson chased her outside, pulled a knife on her, threatened her, grabbed her by the hair, and dragged her back inside her apartment, where he detained her against her will.

      Witnesses heard the victim screaming, and saw Johnson dragging her by the hair.  They notified the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and officers set up a barricade about 4:40 p.m. around the apartment when their knocks on the door went unanswered.  At 5:55 p.m., the police broke down the door and arrested Johnson.  The victim received hospital treatment for her injuries.

      As part of the plea agreement, the charges from the earlier cases, both misdemeanors, are to be dismissed at the time of the defendant’s sentencing.

      In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen acknowledged the work of officers from MPD’s Sixth District and praised the witnesses who got involved and notified the police.   He also thanked those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Jason Manuel and Victim Advocates Tracey Hawkins and La June Thames.  Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who prosecuted the case.