Donnell Godfrey, a 19-year-old Washington D.C. resident, has been sentenced to over eight years in prison after pleading guilty to armed robbery and assaulting a correctional officer, according to a statement from the U.S Attorney's Office. The combined sentence handed down on Wednesday gives Godfrey 72 months for the robbery and an additional 32 months for the assault.
In the details released by the U.S. Attorney's Office, on November 21, 2023, Godfrey and two accomplices confronted their victim during the early hours of the morning. The perpetrators, armed, demanded valuables from the victim, who had just parked his car. The attackers made off with a phone and car keys, the former of which was later used to track and apprehend Godfrey, and an associate. Recovered by law enforcement, was a black Glock pistol and the victim's belongings in Godfrey's possession.
The incident at the D.C. Jail occurred on April 24, 2024, where Godfrey, while already incarcerated for the armed robbery, attacked a corrections officer who had reprimanded him for attempting to turn on a television during an education period. "When the officer instructed Godfrey not to turn on the television, Godfrey responded by retrieving a broom," said the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The altercation escalated to violence, resulting in significant injuries to the officer, including a fractured orbital bone and a fractured jaw.
U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith praised the work of those involved in the investigation. The U.S. Attorney's Office acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Toogun, Valerie Tsesarenko, and Ariel Lieberman, for their roles in prosecuting the case. The commendation extends, to the Metropolitan Police Department and D.C. Department of Corrections for their investigation efforts.
