WASHINGTON - Chaqualo McNeil, 19, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to a felony charge stemming from a recent attempt to sexually abuse a fellow occupant of a group home, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
McNeil entered the plea to a charge of attempted first-degree sexual abuse on July 19, 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable John Ramsey Johnson scheduled sentencing for Sept. 20, 2013. McNeil faces a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison. He also must also register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 2, 2013, the victim, who is in his 20s, was residing in a group home in Northeast Washington with two other adult males, including the defendant. At about 5:30 a.m., while the group home staff was reportedly asleep downstairs, McNeil entered the victim’s bedroom, overpowered him in his bed, and sexually assaulted him.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work performed by those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr. who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
13-255
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
