Friday, November 22, 2024

Defendant Caused Traffic Accident, Then Committed the Offense

            WASHINGTON – Maurice Edwards, 20, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty on November 21, 2024, by a Superior Court jury, of armed carjacking and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, for his role in a March 2024 traffic-accident-turned-carjacking in the Deanwood neighborhood of Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            The Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld scheduled sentencing for January 22, 2025.  Armed carjacking carries a mandatory minimum term of fifteen years of incarceration.

            According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of March 11, 2024, Edwards drove a car through a stop sign and struck the victim’s vehicle at the intersection of 48th Pl. NE and Lee St. NE, as the victim was driving home from work.  After Edwards and his co-conspirator got out of their car, Edwards pulled a gun on the victim, causing the victim to retreat from his driver’s side door.  Edwards’ co-conspirator got into the victim’s car and drove away, and Edwards chased after the victim and held him down, allowing his co-conspirator to make off with the victim’s car.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was investigated, prosecuted, and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Cocuzza and Mark Levy.