Antone Watkins, 29, from Washington, D.C., will spend the next decade behind bars after a Superior Court jury found him guilty of armed robbery and several firearm-related crimes. The U.S. Attorney's Office reported that Watkins faced justice on July 3, and received his sentence yesterday, consecrating an end to a case that stemmed from a late-night incident in June 2022.
During the sentencing, Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno ordered that Watkins's sentences for the various charges - 120 months for armed robbery, 120 months for each count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, 78 months for assault with a dangerous weapon, and 36 months for unauthorized use of a vehicle - would run concurrently. Additionally, after his incarceration, Watkins will serve five years of supervised release.
"Around 10:47 p.m., on June 17, 2022, the victim was led into an alley near Howison Place and N Street SW," the U.S. Attorney's Office detailed in the press release. It was there that, Watkins, brandishing a firearm, struck the victim in the face, which resulted in a chipped tooth. Subsequently, Watkins along with two unnamed accomplices, stripped the victim of cash, jewelry, and car keys. Security cameras captured Watkins fleeing the scene in the victim's truck and later scouring through the stolen possessions. Watkins's freedom ended with his arrest on September 15, 2022, and he has been in custody since.
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith both acknowledged the Metropolitan Police Department's pivotal role in the investigation. Their statement also highlighted contributions from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Probation Office, which were instrumental from the inception of the case through the trial. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Levy and Gregory Evans earned commendation for their prosecution of the case, as did Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Rubb, who led the investigation.
