Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Beating Ex-Girlfriend with 15-Pound Dumbbell

            WASHINGTON – Nicholas Batts, 33, of Georgetown, Texas, was sentenced on November 9, 2023 to a ten-year prison term for beating his ex-girlfriend in the face and head with a 15-pound dumbbell, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Batts pleaded guilty in September 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of Aggravated Assault While Armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence between 7.5 years and 10 years of incarceration. The Honorable Rainey Brandt accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant to 10 years of incarceration, followed by five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on December 9, 2022, at approximately 5:00 AM, Batts bludgeoned his ex-girlfriend in the face with a 15-pound metal dumbbell. When officers arrived on scene, the defendant stated that he “snapped” and hit her with the weight. The victim was found in the defendant’s bedroom, lying unconscious on the floor suffering from multiple blunt force trauma wounds.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Yasmin Emrani and Brian Yang, of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.