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Press Release

District Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Armed Robberies in Southeast Washington

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia
Defendant and Accomplice Carjacked One of the Victims

            WASHINGTON – Danzell Johnson, 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for a pair of armed robberies he committed last summer in Southeast Washington, including one that resulted in a carjacking, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            A co-defendant, Kyree Black, 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on March 1, 2019, to a 15-year prison term.

            Johnson and Black pled guilty in January 2019 to charges of carjacking, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm. The pleas, which were subject to the Court’s approval, called for Johnson to be sentenced to 15 to 18 years in prison and Black to be sentenced to 13 to 20 years. The Honorable Robert A. Salerno accepted the pleas and sentenced the defendants accordingly. Following their prison terms, Johnson and Black will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to plea documents, the first crime took place at approximately 11 p.m. on July 27th, 2018. Johnson and Black accosted the victim in the 3300 block of 10th Place SE. Johnson pointed a handgun at the man and demanded his car keys. The victim turned over the keys to his 2015 BMW. Black, who was armed with a knife, demanded the rest of the man’s possessions. The man threw his driver’s license, bank card, iPhone and charging cable at Black. He then fled to safety and contacted police. Prince George’s County, Md. Police observed the stolen car in District Heights, Md., and attempted to stop it. The driver fled and crashed. The two ran away.

            The second crime occurred at approximately 12:15 a.m. on Aug. 1, 2018. This time, Johnson and Black approached a man who was walking in the area of the 700 block of 8th Street SE. Johnson pointed a gun at the victim and ordered him onto the ground. Black then removed the victim’s wallet and took about $80 in cash. Johnson took the victim’s iPhone.

            Johnson was arrested on Aug. 9, 2018. In a search of Johnson, police recovered a loaded revolver as well as the iPhone taken in the Aug. 1 robbery. Black was arrested on Aug. 13. In a search of Black, police found a Metro card registered to the victim of the first robbery.

            In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Keil, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

 

Updated March 15, 2019

Topic
Violent Crime
Press Release Number: 19-29