Defendant and Her Cousin Beat Victim, Stole His Belongings, While Keeping Him Locked Inside of Her Vehicle

WASHINGTON – Antoinette Gilmore, 28, of Washington, DC was convicted yesterday of kidnapping, after a three-day jury trial before the Honorable Errol Arthur in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Sentencing is scheduled for July 23, 2024.

            On October 12, 2023, the victim got into an argument on the phone, with his roommate, defendant Gilmore. During the argument, the defendant told the victim she wanted him to move out of her apartment. They agreed that the defendant would pick up the victim from downtown and bring him back to her apartment so that he could remove his belongings. Defendant Gilmore and her cousin went to pick up the victim.

            Once inside the car, the defendant instructed her cousin to punch and beat the victim and take his belongings as the defendant drove. The victim tried to get out of the car, but they locked the doors and trapped him from within. At one point, he was able to get the back door open and escape. At the defendant’s direction, her cousin jumped out and chased the victim down, eventually catching him and dragging him by the collar of his shirt back into the defendant’s car. Once they reached their destination, the victim was pulled out of the car where he managed to break free and ran straight to the Sixth District Police substation where he reported the assault to police.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Hanson and Lauren Miller of the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.