District Teenagers Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison For Series of Armed Robberies in Southeast Washington

            WASHINGTON – David Crocker, 17, and Sadiq Blaine, 16, both of Washington, D.C., have each been sentenced to eight years in prison on charges stemming from a series of armed robberies committed in February and March of 2016 using the website OfferUp to lure multiple victims to Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.

            Crocker and Blaine were charged as adults given the serious nature of their crimes. They pled guilty in July 2016 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  Crocker pled guilty to three counts of armed robbery for offenses on Feb. 28, 2016, and March 18, 2016, and Blaine pled guilty to two counts of armed robbery for offenses on Feb. 25, 2016, and March 17, 2016.  They were sentenced on Oct. 21, 2016 by the Honorable Juliet McKenna.  Upon completion of their prison terms, the defendants will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Feb. 25, 2016, at about 9:30 p.m., Blaine and Crocker went to the front of the Capitol View Library, in the 5000 block of Central Avenue SE, to meet two victims who responded to an ad for three iPhone 6s’es placed on OfferUp. He and Crocker jumped into the back seat of the victims’ vehicle, at which point Blaine pulled out an imitation firearm and pointed it at the two victims, who were seated in the driver’s seat and front passenger’s seat respectively.  Both Blaine and Crocker shouted words to the effect of “Give me the money.”  The first victim handed over about $120 and the second victim handed over at least $500. Blaine and Crocker demanded additional money, and the first victim told them that they did not have any more money but had a bank card.  Blaine and Crocker then ordered the first victim to drive at gunpoint to an ATM and gave directions along the way.  While enroute, the victims saw a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) cruiser coming towards them.  The first victim stopped the car in the middle of the intersection of Central Avenue SE and 52nd Street SE to get the attention of the police officers.  Both Blaine and Crocker fled from the car, and MPD officers pursued them but were unable to catch them.

            Three days later, on Feb. 28, 2016, at about 4:45 p.m., a victim came to the 5100 block of Astor Place SE in response to an ad for three iPhone 6Ss’es placed on OfferUp.  Crocker came out of 5120 Astor Place SE to meet the victim, said that someone would be out in a few minutes to sell him the iPhone, and then went back inside. A few minutes later, Crocker came back outside and told the victim to drive into the driveway between the buildings of 5120 Astor Place SE, which leads to a parking lot and dumpster.  A second suspect then approached the victim, put a knife to his neck, and demanded his money and cell phone. The second suspect got into the rear left passenger seat with his knife at the victim’s neck.  Crocker got into the front passenger seat with a backpack and pulled out a knife that he brandished at the victim.  Crocker took $500 and the victim’s cell phone.  Both Crocker and the second suspect then fled.

            In a third incident, on March 17, 2016, at about 2 p.m., Blaine and Crocker met yet another victim, who had driven to Astor Place SE in response to an ad for a Mercedes SUV placed on OfferUp. Blaine approached the driver’s side window, pointed an imitation firearm at the victim, demanded his money, and told him not to move. The victim handed Blaine his wallet, from which Blaine removed $1,000 and a photocopy of the victim’s Social Security card.  Blaine demanded more money.  Crocker approached the front passenger’s door and threw a brick through the window, which shattered the window and struck the victim in the hand.  Crocker then opened the front passenger’s side door and went through the glove box and front area of the car, looking for additional money.  Both Blaine and Crocker then fled.

            Finally, on March 18, 2016, at about noon, Crocker, Blaine, and a third suspect came out of 5120 Astor Place SE to meet two victims who came to the block in response to an ad for a Ford truck placed on OfferUp.  One victim got out of the car, while the other remained inside.  The victim asked where the truck was, and Crocker said that it was in the back of the building.  The victim refused to walk around the building and asked to see the title for the vehicle.  Crocker went inside for a few minutes and then returned with white papers, which the victim recognized were not a title.  Crocker grabbed the victim and stuck an imitation firearm into the victim’s side and demanded money. Blaine also stuck a knife at the victim’s side, demanding money.  The victim gave up his wallet, which had $60, credit cards, and his identification.  Blaine then ran to the vehicle, where the second victim was sitting.  Blaine brandished the knife and demanded the second victim’s money.  The second victim took out his wallet and gave Blaine all of his cash, which was $2. Crocker, Blaine, and the third individual fled.

            Both defendants were arrested on March 24, 2016 when MPD executed a search warrant inside 5120 Astor Place SE. Search warrants were later executed on the cell phones, which revealed, among other things, a video of the defendants together the day of the March 17, 2016 robbery flashing large amounts of cash.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator John Marsh; Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Gilbert, Antoinette Sakamsa, and Tonya Queen; Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff, who supervised the case.  Finally, he thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Smalky and Thomas Saunders, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.