Defendant Also Pled Guilty in Separate Threats Matter
WASHINGTON - Jerome M. Holliway, 37, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 17 ½ years in prison for attacking another defendant last fall while they were in a courthouse cellblock, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Holliway pled guilty in March 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of first-degree sex abuse. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 17 ½ years in prison. The Honorable José M. Lόpez accepted the plea today and sentenced Holliway accordingly. Following his prison term, Holliway will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life. He also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 11, 2016, Holliway and the victim were held in the same cellblock at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Both had finished their court hearings and were awaiting transport back to the District of Columbia Jail. At approximately 11:35 a.m., Holliway began attacking the victim -- beating, biting, kicking, and sexually assaulting him, mostly in the toilet area behind a metal divider.
After the attack, Holliway pulled the naked victim up by his chains and stated, “Don’t tell anyone that I did this, tell them a ghost did it or the devil did it or something."
In a separate matter, Holliway also pled guilty in March to a charge of attempted threats. Judge Lopez sentenced Holliway to 180 days in prison for this offense. The plea agreement called for the sentence imposed in this case to run concurrently with the 17 ½ years for the sexual assault. In this matter, Holliway admitted calling his estranged wife’s telephone and leaving a voicemail on Oct. 5, 2016, in which he threatened to beat her and kill anyone she loved.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the cases from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist D'Yvonne Key, Victim/Witness Advocate Supervisor Dr. Lorraine Chase, and Victim/Witness Advocate Shawn Slade. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Elana Suttenberg, who investigated and prosecuted the sexual assault, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Poulin, who investigated and prosecuted the threats matter.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
