Jerome Parker, 49, of Detroit is headed to federal prison after back-to-back assaults in Washington, D.C. last August left one man with a fractured jaw and another with a brain injury, according to prosecutors. A judge sentenced Parker to a 60-month term, with 12 of those months suspended, and ordered three years of probation once he is released. Prosecutors say one victim needed surgery and had his jaw wired shut for months, while the other was unconscious for more than five minutes and suffered a minor brain bleed.
Federal plea and charges
In a press release, federal prosecutors said Parker pleaded guilty on Oct. 1, 2025 to one count of aggravated assault, one count of assault with significant bodily injury and one count of second-degree theft. The office said the offenses occurred on Aug. 18 and 19, 2025 and that Parker was arrested on Sept. 25, 2025. The sentence was announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Victims and the attacks
According to federal prosecutors, the first assault happened as a 66-year-old man was leaving a Metrobus on Aug. 18. Parker punched him, stole his wallet and caused a jaw fracture that required surgery, they said. The following day, prosecutors say Parker followed an acquaintance into an apartment building and assaulted a second man inside, punching and kicking him until he was later found unconscious. That victim was reportedly unconscious for more than five minutes and was later diagnosed with a minor brain bleed. Those details were reported by CBS Detroit, which reviewed the U.S. Attorney's statement.
Sentence and prosecutor statement
"Today we took another criminal, victimizing the most vulnerable members of our community, off the streets," U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said in the office's statement. Prosecutors said Parker's plea and the serious injuries suffered by both victims were factors in the recommended sentence, which includes a 60-month prison term with 12 months suspended and three years of post-release supervision. The U.S. Attorney's Office provided the sentencing details.
Why prosecutors took the case
Federal prosecutors often take cases where assaults result in significant bodily injury or where victims are particularly vulnerable, and the office framed Parker's attacks as targeting the most vulnerable members of the community. Together, the federal notice and local coverage indicate prosecutors pressed for federal charges after the two consecutive attacks and the severity of the victims' injuries. For more on the sentence and timeline, see reporting from CBS Detroit.
