Tom Donohue, an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner who represents Fairlawn and Anacostia, has sued the District of Columbia and the Metropolitan Police Department, alleging he was never fully paid for information he provided in a fatal 2020 hit-and-run case and a string of armed robberies. Donohue, who represents ANC district 8E01, says he is also seeking more public information about how the city's Crime Solvers reward decisions get made.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, centers on D.C.'s Crime Solvers program, which allows people to submit anonymous tips to police about active investigations and pays rewards when that information leads to a conviction, as reported by FOX 5 DC. Donohue told the station he wants more transparency and a clear process for people seeking Crime Solvers rewards, rather than what he describes as an opaque system with no public criteria.
A Bicyclist's Death and a Reward Dispute
The case that started it all dates back to September 2020, when 45-year-old bicyclist David Farewell was killed in a hit-and-run crash. Donohue says he provided video footage that he believes led to the arrest and conviction of the man responsible, and he says he was told he would receive a $25,000 reward for the information — but MPD ultimately awarded him only $5,000, according to Donohue's account relayed through the station's report.
Court records show the case eventually resulted in a conviction. Suspect Eric Beasley went to trial for first-degree murder in October 2023, a proceeding that ended in a hung jury, according to DC Witness. Prosecutors had relied on street surveillance video and automotive expert analysis to argue Beasley intentionally accelerated into Farewell, while defense attorneys countered that the crime scene had been contaminated by bystanders before police cordoned off the block, the outlet reported. Beasley later pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced in September 2024 to eight years in prison.
Donohue says he received a threat while working with police on the hit-and-run investigation. He also told FOX 5 DC that he relied on the expected reward payment when he told Farewell's family he would help pay for a tombstone — a commitment made all the more significant given that ANC commissioners, established under the 1973 Home Rule Act, are non-salaried elected officials who represent Single Member Districts of roughly 2,000 residents and receive no salary or stipend, per background on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission structure.
A Second Tip, and a Serial Robber
Donohue's lawsuit also involves a separate case: he says he is owed money for directing police to David Crocker, whom he describes as a serial armed robber. According to Donohue, police initially arrested the wrong person in the Crocker robbery case before his tip set the investigation on the right track.
Crocker pleaded guilty in March 2025 to two counts of armed robbery and gun charges tied to a December 2023 robbery spree in Anacostia Park, and he was sentenced in June 2025 to 18 years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. It was not Crocker's first brush with the justice system — he had previously been charged as an adult at age 17 and sentenced in October 2016 to eight years in prison for a series of armed robberies in Southeast D.C. in which he lured victims through the OfferUp online marketplace, per the Justice Department.
Donohue has said publicly that Crocker admitted responsibility for 14 total armed robberies, including one in which Donohue himself was a victim, and he has expressed frustration that prosecutors only formally charged Crocker with a fraction of those offenses, according to comments Donohue made in June 2025.
How Crime Solvers Rewards Actually Work
D.C.'s Crime Solvers program dates back to 1981, a partnership between MPD, local media, and the business community that offers standard cash rewards up to $1,000 for anonymous felony tips, while special MPD homicide and fatal-crash rewards can reach as high as $25,000, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. A Crime Solvers committee reviews cases to decide whether information qualifies for a reward and determines how much a tipster should receive, though the criteria for those decisions are not publicly detailed.
MPD disclosed to the D.C. Council in budget oversight responses that it paid out 43 total rewards across 2023 and early 2024, including 18 Crime Solvers tips, 9 homicide tips, 9 gun tips, and 5 robbery tips — figures that underscore just how rarely the city distributes these payouts, according to D.C. Council records. Elsewhere in the region, similar Crime Solvers programs are organized as independent 501(c)(3) non-profits governed by volunteer citizen boards that calculate rewards and issue payouts using private donations rather than taxpayer dollars, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Donohue's lawsuit asks the court to require MPD to release written criteria and calculation standards for how rewards are determined. MPD has not explained how Crime Solvers award amounts are calculated, has not identified who sits on the Crime Solvers committee, and does not comment on pending litigation, the department told FOX 5 DC. The station also asked MPD whether Crime Solvers reward funding comes from local or federal sources, but as of Tuesday afternoon, MPD had not responded to questions about committee membership or funding sources.
A Commissioner Known for Watching the Streets
Donohue has built a reputation in Fairlawn and Anacostia as a persistent public safety advocate long before his ANC election, regularly sharing police alerts and pressing MPD for updates on open investigations. That track record adds weight to his claim that his tips were substantive contributions to closing two serious criminal cases, even as the underlying dispute over reward money and transparency remains unresolved in court.
