Two District Men Sentenced to Prison Terms for Crime Spree in the District of Columbia and Maryland

            WASHINGTON - David Sutton, 22, and Dacquan Gregory, 20, both of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to prison terms on charges stemming from a broad daylight, 100-minute crime spree that included the theft of a car and three armed robberies and that finally ended with a car crash that seriously injured a woman.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Both men were found guilty on Aug. 14, 2018, of one count each of conspiracy to commit robbery, theft, and unauthorized use of a vehicle to commit a crime of violence, two counts each of armed robbery and assault with a dangerous weapon, and related firearms offenses. Sutton also was found guilty of charges of aggravated assault while armed and unlawful possession of a firearm. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

            The Honorable Ronna L. Beck sentenced Sutton to a prison term of 18 years and Gregory to 11 years of incarceration. Following their prison terms, each defendant will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, the chain of events began at about 3:55 p.m. on Aug. 30, 2016. At that time, Sutton and Gregory stole a running Nissan Rouge SUV in the 3400 block of Holmead Place NW. They then used that vehicle to approach three victims with a firearm, robbing them at gunpoint. The robberies took place within just 25 minutes in the 1400 block of Rock Creek Church Road NW, the 1400 block of Tuckerman Street NW, and the 700 block of Sheridan Street NW.

            Following these crimes, Sutton and Gregory drove into Maryland, where they tried to rob a former police officer in Mount Rainier at gunpoint.  He was able to disarm them and take the magazine out of the gun.  They then fled back into the District of Columbia, where they ran red lights and stop signs, and sped through a residential area. They finally crashed into another vehicle at about 5:35 p.m. in the 2600 block of 18^th Street NE. The driver of the car they struck was a woman on her way home from work; she was transported to the hospital and had her spleen, gallbladder and part of her liver removed.  She was in the hospital for two weeks. 

            Gregory was found by police within minutes of the crash, crawling on the ground, with a gun on him.  Sutton was arrested three days later.  Both have been in custody ever since.

            Video surveillance captured the vehicle traveling throughout the city, and surveillance video showed defendant Sutton following one victim into his apartment building.  DNA evidence tied the defendants to the robberies and the Nissan Rogue.

            In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences and the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department.

            They commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany Keil and Melissa Jackson, who investigated and prosecuted the case. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who provided assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Rosen and Ahmed Baset; Paralegal Specialist Antoinette Sakamsa; Litigation Technology Specialists Kimberly Smith and Anisha Bhatia, and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames.