District Man Sentenced to 28 Months in Prison for Robbery and Firearms Related Charges

WASHINGTON - Ralph Butler, 19, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 28 months in prison for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon (felony) of two men on September 22, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Butler pleaded guilty on February 7, 2024, to robbery and assault with a dangerous weapon in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz.

According to the government's evidence, with which Butler agreed, on September 22, 2023, at around 5:45 a.m., Butler and another individual approached two men in the 2200 block of Shannon Place SE, produced handguns, and robbed them of their phones, car keys, currency, and, ultimately, their vehicles, which were parked nearby. Butler drove off in one victim's car, while his accomplice drove off in the other victim's SUV. Both vehicles were later recovered in Butler's neighborhood in Southeast Washington D.C.

Surveillance footage captured both Butler and his accomplice in the area surrounding the crime scene, as well as Butler and his accomplice each driving the stolen vehicles. MPD officers arrested Butler on October 19, 2023.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief. Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney's Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parron.