District Man Pleads Guilty To Aggravated Assault, Admits Sexually Assaulting His WifeDefendant Shocked Wife With Taser

     WASHINGTON – A 49-year-old man, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of aggravated assault stemming from a recent attack in which he shocked his wife with a Taser at their apartment, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     The man, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, entered the guilty plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Russell F. Canan scheduled sentencing for Nov. 7, 2014.

     According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 3, 2014, the defendant became angry with his wife and began shocking her with a Taser, knocking her to her knees in the bedroom of their Southeast Washington apartment. He then pushed her onto the floor, sat on her chest and continued shocking her face and head.  When her head began swelling up, the defendant left the room to get ice and a towel.  Upon returning to the bedroom, he discovered that she was trying to crawl away.  He then went to another room, retrieved a baseball bat, and began striking her in the head.  He pulled the victim to her feet and began punching her in the face.  Finally, he ordered the victim onto her bed, where he sexually assaulted her.

     The victim suffered multiple injuries, including a fractured cheek. She pleaded with her husband to call an ambulance. Fearing that she’d report what he’d just done, he refused to do so. After the victim promised not to tell on him, he agreed to drive her to the hospital.  At the hospital, when the defendant stepped away briefly, the victim reported what he had done to her.  An officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, who was at the hospital on another matter, was notified and the defendant was arrested.

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key and Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan. Finally, he commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.