Vincent James, 39, Sentenced to 11 Years in July 2020 Shooting

Friday, January 12, 2024

Defendant Shot Victim Multiple Times on South Capitol Street SE

            WASHINGTON – Vincent James, 39, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 132 months of incarceration for shooting a man multiple times in the chest, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  He was sentenced by the Honorable Michael O’Keefe of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

            James was found guilty of all charges by a jury following a three-day trial in Superior Court in October 2023. Specifically, the jury found James guilty of aggravated assault while armed and related firearms offenses. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Michael O’Keefe ordered James to serve five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning of July 30, 2020, James encountered the victim in the parking lot of Spar Liquors, located at 3916 South Capitol Street, SE. Without provocation or warning, James shot the victim multiple times in the torso. The victim was able to flee but collapsed at a nearby bus stop before being transported to Washington Hospital Center, where he was treated for multiple gunshot wounds. James was identified from surveillance footage at a nearby AutoZone where he made a purchase using his loyalty account earlier in the day.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of MPD’s Seventh District Detectives Unit who investigated the case. They also thanked Crystal Waddy, Debra McPherson (retired), Charlie Bruce, Tina Lukens, Hayley Kornbleuth, Carolyn Carter-Mckinley, Katina Adams-Washington, Maenylie Reed Watson, and Assistant United States Attorneys Ella Gladman, LaVater Massie-Banks, Carlos Valdivia of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as well as the U.S. Marshals Service for their valuable assistance throughout the case. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Anna Forgie and Ron Chester, who prosecuted and tried the case.