Defendant Admitted Committing a Dozen Offenses Over 19 Months
WASHINGTON - Edward Lee Staton, Jr., 53, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 137 months in prison for a series of crimes he committed over a 19-month period, including the robbery at knifepoint of an elderly tourist and numerous thefts from retail establishments, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today. In three of the incidents, Staton brandished a knife in the direction of store employees who tried to stop him.
Staton pled guilty in March 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to 12 offenses committed on different dates, including charges of robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, second-degree burglary, simple assault, second-degree theft, possession of a prohibited weapon, and failing to appear for a court hearing. He was sentenced on May 10, 2017 by the Honorable Ronna L. Beck. Following completion of his prison term, Staton will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, between February 2015 and September 2016, Staton was responsible for more than 35 incidents, ranging from shoplifting to robbery. The crimes led to more than $30,000 in reported losses. Most of Staton’s crimes involved entering Washington, D.C. retail establishments and using a large trash or laundry bag to steal a significant volume of retail items, such as clothing, medication, and toiletries. In his guilty plea, Staton admitted to 11 incidents, as well as failing to appear for a court hearing last summer. In some instances, Staton targeted the same store on more than one occasion.
In his plea, Staton admitted to committing crimes on these dates and at these locations:
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Dec, 30, 2015, about 2:40 p.m.: Gap store, 600 block of 11th Street NW.
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Jan. 11, 2016, about 5:25 p.m.: CVS, 3200 block of Connecticut Avenue NW.
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Jan. 30, 2016: about 3:10 p.m.: CVS, 400 block of 8th Street NW.
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June 17, 2016, about 1:30 p.m.: CVS, 500 block of 12th Street SE.
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June 20, 2016, about 3 p.m.: District Taco, 600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. In this incident, Staton took a woman’s wallet.
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July 2, 2016, about 9:45 p.m. CVS, 400 block of Massachusetts Avenue NW.
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July 10, 2016, about 8:50 p.m.: Staton took the wallet of an elderly tourist who was walking down 900 block of Massachusetts Avenue NW. He also brandished a knife at the tourist and two people who tried to intervene.
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July 21, 2016, about 7 p.m.: Banana Republic, 600 block of 13th Street NW.
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Aug. 8, 2016, about 2:30 p.m.: Banana Republic, 600 block of 13th Street NW.
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Aug. 9, 2016, about 4:25 p.m.: TJ Maxx, 600 block of 13th Street NW.
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Sept. 13, 2016, about 2:35 p.m.: CVS, 500 block of 12th Street SE.
Staton was arrested on Sept. 13, 2016.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, especially the detectives of the First Police District. He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the CVS Organized Retail Crime Unit as well as the Mid-Atlantic Organized Retail Crime Alliance. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kacie Weston, Veronica Sanchez, and Douglas Klein; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brenna Bush; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Lynda Randolph, and Legal Intern Devin Barrett. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Floyd, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
