Two Local Teenagers Found Guilty of 2008 Armed Carjacking and Obstruction of Justice

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Two local men, Rashawn “Rah Rah” King and Christopher “Barbeast” Holmes, have been found guilty of a 2008 armed carjacking and robbery in Southeast Washington, D.C., Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.

Holmes, 17, formerly of the 5000 block of Bass Place, SE, and King, 17, formerly of the 1200 block of Howison Place, SW, were found guilty on October 15, 2009, by a Superior Court jury of armed carjacking, armed robbery, fleeing from law enforcement, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and related offenses. The convictions stem from the carjacking and robbery of an individual at the corner of 22nd and Savannah Place, SE, Washington, D.C. on October 24, 2008. Holmes also was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct justice and three counts of obstruction of justice. King and Holmes are scheduled to be sentenced by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz on January 8, 2009. At sentencing, both King and Holmes face a minimum of 15 years of incarceration for the armed carjacking offense. Holmes faces an additional maximum term of 30 years incarceration for the obstruction of justice offenses.

The government’s evidence at trial showed that at about 5:00 p.m. on October 24, 2008, Holmes drove King to an area outside a barbershop at 22nd and Savannah Place, SE, where an individual was walking to his car. King got out of the car and pointed a gun at the victim, and then took about $1000 from him and his keys. King then drove away in the victim’s car, following Holmes. The two defendants were observed by a police officer minutes later a few blocks away while they were shooting at a crowd of people on the sidewalk. A chase ensued in which Holmes escaped, but King drove the victim’s car across the I-295 bridge, weaving in and out of rush hour traffic at high speeds. Pursued by the police, King drove all the way to a frontage road near L’Enfant Plaza, where he wrecked and then abandoned the victim’s car. Officers caught King after a foot chase that ended at 12th and D Streets, SW. Later that day, the victim identified Holmes in a photo array as one of the two participants in the carjacking. Holmes was not apprehended until November 30, 2008, when he led police on a chase in Northeast D.C. Almost immediately after his arrest and detention at the D.C. jail, Holmes began calling his friends, including Terrence “Goobie” Conner, in an attempt to obstruct justice in this case. Specifically, Holmes asked Connor and others to locate and threaten the victim in an effort to force the victim to recant his story. Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force spent hours listening to these calls to document the threats and to locate Conner and others. When the Task Force raided Conner’s home in Southeast Washington, D.C., on February 24, 2009, they found Conner, a convicted felon, in possession of a loaded handgun. Conner plead guilty to conspiracy to obstruct justice and felony in possession of a firearm earlier this month.

In announcing the verdict, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips praised the outstanding work of the Metropolitan Police Department officers who captured King and Holmes and investigated the carjacking, including Officers Todd Williams, Willie Gaultney, Alvin Lytle, Brian Stacks, Sargeant Michael Halstead and Detective James “JV” Francis. Additionally, he praised the work of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, especially Detectives William Sepeck, Paul Edwards, and Wayne Humberson as well as the FBI agents who investigated the obstruction of justice case against Holmes. Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips also commended Officers Thomas O’Donnell, Michael Tucker, Armstrong Adams, Barry Gomez, and Le Hung, who captured Holmes on November 30, 2008. Finally, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips praised the invaluable assistance of Antoinette Sakamsa, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, for helping prepare the case for trial, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Tonolli, who investigated and indicted the case, and Todd Gee, who tried it.