Saddiq Muhammad, 24, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for his role in two armed robberies that occurred on May 8 and May 9, 2019. The incidents were part of a crime spree perpetrated by Muhammad on innocent civilians over the course of three days announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Muhammad pled guilty to two counts of assault with intent to rob while armed on October 4, 2019, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe sentenced Muhammad to 12 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 8, 2019, at about 11:16 p.m., Muhammad entered a 7-11 convenience store at 1344 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., in Washington, DC. He approached the store counter, where the victim was working as a cashier. Muhammad leapt over the counter, brandishing what appeared to be a black semi-automatic handgun. Muhammad pointed the handgun at the victim and demanded that he open the cash register. The victim complied. Muhammad then reached into the drawer and stole $100. Muhammad exited the store and fled South on Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., in a car he had stolen the day before.
On May 9, 2019, at 12:30 a.m., two victims were sitting in front of an apartment building at 2517 25th Street, N.W., waiting for an Uber. Muhammad approached the victims on foot. He pulled out what appeared to be a semi-automatic handgun and pointed the gun in one of the victim’s face. Muhammad demanded the victim’s cellphone. The victim had his hands up and Muhammad grabbed the victim’s cellphone from his hand. Muhammad then pointed the handgun at the other victim and grabbed her purse. The victim held onto her purse and would not let go. Muhammad tried to pull the purse away and in the process dragged the victim several yards down the sidewalk before she surrendered her purse to Muhammad.
Several hours later, at about 7:34 a.m., another victim was standing near 950 Division Avenue, N.E. Muhammad pulled up in the stolen car and approached the victim. Muhammad said something to the victim but the victim could not understand him because the victim did not speak English. Muhammad hit the victim in the head with a gun and took his wallet and car keys. On that same day, Muhammad also robbed an Exxon gas station in Silver Spring, Maryland, at gunpoint.
After an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department, obtaining surveillance video and talking to witnesses, law enforcement identified Saddiq Muhammad as the perpetrator of the armed robbery spree. Muhammad was arrested on May 10, 2019, and subsequently charged.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Hobel and Beth Kelley who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
