Convicted Burglar Pleads Guilty to Invading Two Homes, Sexually Assaulting Women Who Had Been Sleeping
Defendant Was Linked to the Crimes by DNA Evidence
| U.S. Attorney’s Office June 17, 2011 |
WASHINGTON—George Clowers, 24, of no fixed address, pled guilty today to breaking into two homes in Northwest Washington and sexually assaulting the women who had been sleeping inside the residences, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.; James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Clowers pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to two counts of first-degree sexual abuse. The Honorable William M. Jackson scheduled sentencing for October 7, 2011. Clowers, who previously had been convicted of burglary, faces up to 60 years in prison on the sexual abuse charges. He is required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, which was presented at the plea hearing, the first of the crimes took place about 4:30 a.m. on July 24, 2007 inside a residence in the 900 block of P Street NW. Clowers broke into the home while the female resident was sleeping. He ate some of her food and drank some of her beer. Then he went into her bedroom and spit beer in the victim’s face to incapacitate her. He threatened to kill her and he physically and sexually assaulted her. She was ultimately able to escape and notified a security guard at a nearby store.
The second attack took place about 3:30 a.m. on April 6, 2009. This time, Clowers broke into a home in the 1500 block of Marion Street NW. Once again, he went into the bedroom of a female resident. He blinded her with a flashlight and threatened her. He sexually assaulted her and stole numerous items from her, including a cellphone. After he left, she notified the police.
In another case, Clowers pled guilty in 2009 to a charge of first degree burglary stemming from another house break-in that took place on April 21, 2009. Following his arrest in that matter, he was linked by DNA to the 2007 attack on P Street NW. Additionally, he was linked by DNA and cellphone records to the crime on Marion Street NW.
In announcing today’s plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director McJunkin and Chief Lanier praised the entire team that worked on the investigations, including the FBI/MPD Violent Crimes Task Force. They also commended the lead Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives—Sexual Assault Unit Detectives Ingrid Harkins, Wallace Carmichael, Yvette Maupin, and Wandella Fields—who worked on the cases. They cited the thorough work of the many Mobile Crime Officers who worked on the cases, including Ralph Nitz, Dawn Leory, Leother Strong, Stanley Remish, Julius Smith, Sgt. D.J. Hayes, James Holder, John Holder, and J.P. Gregory. They also praised the efforts of patrol officers who assisted with the investigations, including Officers Monica Agusti, Matthew Romeo, Tia Hymes, Ryan Kolb, Adam Johnston, and Anton Patterson, of the Third District.
U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director McJunkin and Chief Lanier also commended the efforts of the special agents from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, who provided assistance to the identification and apprehension of the defendant and performed post-arrest investigatory work. They acknowledged the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including intelligence specialist Lawrence Grasso, who assisted with virtually all aspects of the investigation. In addition, they recognized the help Victim Witness Advocate Melissa Milam gave to the victims. They also thanked paralegal Joyce Arthur and Legal Assistant Ashley Patterson. Finally, they recognized Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Marcus-Kurn and Michelle Zamarin, who investigated the cases, and Sharon Marcus-Kurn who is prosecuting the case.