DONDANOVA DOMINIQUE LEWIS, 34, of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 188 months in prison and five years of supervised release for two counts of possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm as an armed career criminal. LEWIS will serve his federal time when he has completed a seven year state sentence imposed in July 2007. LEWIS has pleaded guilty to a variety of crimes he committed during a six week period in 2006. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones remarked that he was imposing a long sentence because of LEWIS’ “regular and continued criminal activity.”

According to records filed in the case, LEWIS was first stopped and arrested by Seattle Police on May 22, 2006. LEWIS was pulled over after being spotted near Club Chocolate City – the now demolished night club that was notorious for drug dealing. LEWIS fled from the officer who initiated the stop, hitting him with the car door. Ultimately, LEWIS crashed his car. Officers located approximately $2500 of crack cocaine under the passenger seat. LEWIS was arrested after running from the car. Just weeks after bailing out of jail on that charge, on June 22, 2006, LEWIS shot a man in Barrett Park in Seattle. The man was rushed to Harborview and survived. LEWIS was identified as the shooter, but was not located.

While LEWIS was being sought in the shooting, he was involved in a hit and run accident on June 30, 2006, on Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Seattle. The motorist who was rear-ended, attempted to follow LEWIS to get his license plate number. LEWIS drove at high speeds on city streets, nearly hitting pedestrians. The accident victim stopped following, but moments later, LEWIS ran through a stop sign and broadsided another car – seriously injuring the driver. LEWIS ran from the scene, but was later located and arrested. LEWIS was released before charges were filed, but was taken into custody July 7, 2006, when he went to visit his state parole officer. In his car officers found crack cocaine and a handgun.

In state court LEWIS pleaded guilty to vehicular assault and was sentenced to seven years in prison. Following that sentencing, federal prosecutors charged LEWIS with drug and gun crimes related to the crime spree. As part of the resolution of the case, LEWIS pleaded guilty to assault in King County Superior Court for the shooting in the city park. He was sentenced last month to ten years in prison. The sentence will run concurrent with the federal sentence.

In support of the lengthy sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Colasurdo wrote to the court about LEWIS’ lengthy criminal history. “Lewis’ criminal history speaks for itself. It is incredibly long and riddled with drugs, firearms and many horrendous acts of violence. Despite spending much of the last 20 years in custody he has now amassed 33 criminal convictions, including 13 felonies. In addition, he has been arrested on 24 other occasions and has had 32 other charges dismissed, including 7 felony charges. Unfortunately, his criminal past has proven that substantial periods of incarceration have not deterred him from continuing to sell drugs, possess firearms, and commit violent crimes.”

Speaking in court before sentencing, LEWIS said, “I apologize to the community that feels I terrorized them and put them in danger.”

LEWIS was prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program. Unveiled in May 2001, Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), is a comprehensive and strategic approach to gun law enforcement. PSN is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in America by networking both new and existing local programs that target gun crime and then providing them with the resources and tools they need to succeed. Implementation at the local level -- in this case, in King County-- has fostered close partnerships between federal, state and local prosecutors and law enforcement.

The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew Colasurdo and Vince Lombardi.

For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney’s Office, at (206) 553-4110 or Emily.Langlie@USDOJ.Gov.

 

 

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