D.C. Man Plead Guilty For 2006 Sexual Assault of Woman in Northwest D.C.

            WASHINGTON – Harold Luckett, 52, of the District of Columbia, plead guilty today for sexually assaulting a woman in November 2006, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Luckett plead guilty to one count of first-degree burglary and one count of first-degree sexual abuse before the Honorable Milton C. Lee. Sentencing is scheduled for September 6, 2019. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a 15-year prison term. Luckett also will be required to register as a sex offender for life.

            According to the government’s evidence, on November 10, 2006, at approximately 10:45 a.m., Luckett entered the victim’s apartment in the Woodley Park neighborhood of Washington D.C. Luckett was a stranger to the victim. Luckett pushed the victim to the floor and physically and sexually assaulted her. The victim yelled and fought back vigorously and, at some point, the defendant fled the apartment. The victim immediately called 911, and members of the Metropolitan Police Department responded promptly. In connection with the investigation, crime scene technicians clipped the victim’s fingernails for possible DNA evidence, and recovered the assailant’s baseball cap, which had fallen off during the struggle.

            Luckett was identified as the perpetrator of this offense through a forensic match to the DNA profile that was developed from forensic testing of the baseball cap and the victim’s fingernail clippings. On January 17, 2018, the defendant was indicted on these charges and related offenses.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of MPD officers and detectives of the Second District, the K-9 Unit and the Sexual Assault Unit, and the continued efforts of detectives with the Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including paralegals Tiffany Fogle and TJ McPhail.

            Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Zubrensky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.