Press Release
District Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Pistol-Whipping Man in Northwest Washington
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia
Defendant Found Guilty of Charges After Jury Trial
WASHINGTON – Jahmar Thaxter, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 10-year prison term on charges stemming from a pistol-whipping assault of a man that took place behind a market in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Thaxter was found guilty by a jury in September 2017 of charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, conspiracy, and related firearms offenses. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Kimberley S. Knowles. Following his prison term, Thaxter will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of Oct. 23, 2016, Thaxter and a second man walked into the back yard of Move and Groove, a Caribbean market in the 5100 block of Georgia Avenue NW. The victim, who was at the market, did not know Thaxter, but he did know the man who was with him. That man accused the victim of talking about his potential involvement in a shooting in Northwest Washington. He and Thaxter then assaulted the victim, pointing guns at him and pistol-whipping him, causing lacerations to the victim’s head. During this attack, Thaxter’s eyeglasses fell off. Thaxter continued to kick and pistol-whip the victim while his accomplice took and then discarded the victim’s wallet.
The eyeglasses were recovered and tested for DNA, and the major contributor profile matched the defendant’s DNA profile. An investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) led to Thaxter’s arrest on Jan. 16, 2017, and he has remained in custody ever since. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of the other man who is believed to have participated in the attack, but he remains at large at this time.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, particularly the detectives from the Fourth Police District. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Romano and Alyse Constantinide; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson; Litigation Technology Specialist Anisha Bhatia; Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, and Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator David Foster.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren N. Bressack and Ethan Carroll, who prosecuted the matter.
Updated February 21, 2018
Topic
Violent Crime
Component