Press Release
District Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Assault in Court Cellblock
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia
Defendant Also Pleads Guilty in Separate Threats Matter
WASHINGTON – Jerome M. Holliway, 37, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of first-degree sexual abuse for attacking another defendant last fall while they were in a courthouse cellblock, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Hollliway pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 17 ½ years in prison. The Honorable José M. Lopez set a hearing for June 9, 2017 to determine whether to accept the plea and sentence. Holliway remains in custody pending his sentencing.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 11, 2016, Holliway and the victim were held in the same cellblock at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Both had finished their court hearings and were awaiting transport back to the District of Columbia Jail. At approximately 11:35 a.m., Holliway began attacking the victim -- beating, biting, kicking, and sexually assaulting him, mostly in the toilet area behind a metal divider.
After the attack, Holliway pulled the naked victim up by his chains and stated, “Don’t tell anyone that I did this, tell them a ghost did it or the devil did it or something.”
In a separate matter, Holliway pled guilty today to a charge of attempted threats stemming from another incident that took place last fall. The plea agreement calls for the sentence imposed in this case to run concurrently with the 17 ½ years for the sexual assault. In this matter, Holliway admitted calling his estranged wife’s telephone and leaving a voicemail on Oct. 5, 2016, in which he threatened to beat her and kill anyone she loved.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the cases from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for 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 Shawn Slade. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Elana Suttenberg, who investigated and prosecuted the sexual assault, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Poulin, who investigated and prosecuted the threats matter.
Updated March 31, 2017
Topic
Violent Crime
Component