Wednesday, Mar 28, 2007
The fifth and final defendant has been sentenced in connection with the series of armed robberies and sexual assaults that occurred on the National Mall between May and July 2006. Ryan Newman, 17, was recently sentenced in D.C. Superior Court to 41 years of incarceration. Newman pled guilty last August 29th to one count of first degree sexual abuse while armed, six counts of robbery, and four counts of possessing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. Newman was the leader in the incidents, and he participated in every one of the robberies and sexual assaults. Newman’s co-conspirators were sentenced between October 2006 and January 2007:
- Trayvon Thomas, 19, was sentenced on January 9th to 26 years and 4 months of incarceration in connection with his plea to one count of first degree sexual abuse, three counts of robbery, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of conspiracy, and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. Thomas participated in the armed robberies on May 25, 2006, and in the armed robberies and sexual assault on May 27, 2006.
- Zachary Bright, 20, was sentenced last October 26th to 10 years in jail following his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy, three counts of armed robbery, and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. The charges were in connection with the two robberies that occurred on July 11, 2006.
- Marcus Brown, 22, was sentenced on October 24th to 8 years in jail in connection with his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy, two counts of armed robbery, one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon for his participation in the two armed robberies on the National Mall on May 25, 2006.
- Michael Bright, 16, pled guilty on August 11th to one count of armed robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, for his participation in the May 27, 2006 armed robbery on the National Mall. On October 16th, he was sentenced to 2 years in jail.
To see the initial and follow-up reports on this case, click on the following links:
http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=2803
http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=2851
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Taylor and U.S. Park Police Chief Dwight Pettiford commended the investigative efforts of Todd Reid of the U.S. Park Police and the outstanding team of detectives, along with David Knoedler of the U.S. Secret Service, Marty Flynn of the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Criminal Investigative Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, particularly John Marsh and Larry Grasso. They also commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Zachem and Elana Tyrangiel, who prosecuted the case. Chief Pettiford made these closing comments: “This brings closure to a series of horrendous crimes that occurred on the National Mall. We are concerned for the victims and we continue to support them in their recovery. I believe the sentencing of these young men sends a strong message to all criminals."
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