Maryland Man Sentenced To Five Years In Prison For Broad Daylight Kidnapping And Assault-Defendant Abducted Girlfriend After High-Speed Chase-

     WASHINGTON – Christopher Devese, 23, of Capitol Heights, Md., was sentenced on Oct. 11, 2013 to five years in prison for abducting his pregnant girlfriend from a gas station, robbing her and then assaulting her, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Devese pled guilty in July 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of kidnapping, assault with a dangerous weapon, robbery, and felony contempt. The plea was contingent upon the approval of the Honorable John Ramsey Johnson, who accepted it and sentenced Devese. Upon completion of his prison term, Devese will be placed on three years of supervised release.

     According to the government’s evidence, on April 27, 2013, at about 12:30 p.m., Devese chased his girlfriend, the victim, in a car from Capitol Heights, Md., into the District of Columbia, as she sped through red lights trying to get away from him.  The victim, who had called 911 for help while being pursued by Devese, was finally cornered in a gas station parking lot in the 4900 block of South Dakota Avenue NE.  Devese smashed the car window to get into the car and pulled his girlfriend out. He then put her into his car and drove her to an unknown alley in the District of Columbia, where he repeatedly assaulted her, including beating her in the stomach with his casted fist.  During the assault, he also robbed the victim of her cell phone, which police recovered from him when he was arrested.  Devese then drove the victim back to Capitol Heights, Md., where he assaulted her again before his mother came to the victim’s aid.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit and the FBI/MPD Violent Crimes Task Force.  He also praised those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson, Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key, and Intern Lucie Enns.  Finally, he commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who investigated and indicted the case.