WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that Andrew James, also known as Jeremiah Butts, has been sentenced for his involvement in a kidnapping case from January 2024. The sentencing took place in Superior Court.
A jury convicted James and his co-defendant Taurean Hobdy on January 16, 2025, of charges including kidnapping, first-degree burglary, robbery, and felony threats. Additionally, James was found guilty of committing an offense while on release for pending charges at the time of the incident.
Judge Robert Salerno sentenced James to seven years in prison with an additional five years of supervised release. Hobdy received a sentence on May 30, 2025, consisting of five years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office had recommended a thirteen-year prison term for James and a ten-year term for Hobdy, which represented the upper limit of their sentencing guidelines range.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that on January 4, 2024, shortly after midnight, the victim encountered James and an unidentified woman inside her townhome's vestibule. Armed with a handgun, James forced the victim into her home where she was assaulted by the unidentified female at his instruction. For two hours, the victim was held against her will while being coerced to provide money allegedly owed to James. During this time, he threatened her life by running bathwater and suggesting he would drown her if she did not comply. Ultimately, under duress, she provided him with her EBT card PIN number. Hobdy then used this information to make unauthorized purchases at a local store. The victim managed to send a text message seeking help from police while being attacked; officers found her hidden under clothes in a closet upon arrival.
Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department joined U.S. Attorney Pirro in announcing the sentences and commended those involved in investigating and prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Miller, Katerina Qesari and Mark Levy were acknowledged for their roles in bringing about these convictions.
