Six Members of Violent D.C. Crew Sentenced to Prison Terms up to 144 Years

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Six members of the 22nd Street Crew, Lannell Cooper, 30, Michael Tann, 32, Antonio Arnette, 28, James Rushing, 30, Dajuan Beaver, 26, and Saquawn Harris, 34, were sentenced by the Honorable Henry F. Greene on November 18, 2009 and November 20, 2009 to terms of incarceration ranging from 18 years to 144 years, Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today. Specifically, Lannell Cooper was sentenced to 43 years, Michael Tann was sentenced to 144 years, Antonio Arnette was sentenced to 18 years, James Rushing was sentenced to 40 years, Dajuan Beaver was sentenced to 52 years, and Saquawn Harris was sentenced to 66 years. Each of these defendants was previously found guilty by a Superior Court of the District of Columbia jury of multiple counts of First and Second-Degree Murder While Armed, Conspiracy, Obstruction of Justice, and related offenses.

The convictions and sentences stem from a reign of terror imposed by these six men, along with other members of the 22nd Street Crew, over a three block area of 22nd Street, SE, between April 2003 and July 2006. The members of the 22nd Street Crew were bound together by varied purposes, including drug trafficking, engaging in acts of violence in order to retaliate against rival groups and to protect their “turf,” and engaging in acts of obstruction of justice.

The entire community was victimized by the actions of the members of this Crew, who were responsible for the murder of Leslie Jones on April 11, 2003, the murder of Terrence Jones and assault on Richard Queen on April 17, 2004, the murder of James Taylor and assault on Bernard Mackey on May 4, 2006, and the murder of Laquanda Johnson and assault on Keisha Frost on July 11, 2006. The victims included an innocent bystander, who happened to be near a playground when multiple members of the Crew opened fire on an outsider, and a young woman who was murdered, in part, because she refused to silence her sister, who had testified as a government witness in a murder trial against Lannell Cooper.

In announcing the sentences, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips praised the outstanding efforts of various members of the law enforcement community. Over fifty members of the MetropolitanPolice Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Park Police worked tirelessly in their coordinated efforts to bring about the verdicts in this case. However, without the dedication and perseverance of Metropolitan Police Department Detectives Susan Blue and Jeffrey Mayberry, FBI Special Agent Catherine Hanna, and U.S. Park Police Detectives William Sepeck and Irving Edwards, who devoted over three years to this investigation, the verdicts would not have been possible.

Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips also commended the efforts of the many support staff at the U.S. Attorney’s Office who assisted in bringing about a successful conclusion in this case. The number of employees who assisted in this case are far too numerous to mention; this was, in all respects, a collaborative effort on the part of many in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. As for Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Bach, Michael Brittin, Amanda Haines, Nancy Jackson, Todd Gee, and Sean Tonolli who investigated the case, and Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Bach, John Giovannelli, and Sean Tonolli who tried the case.