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Two teenagers, Lawrence Cotton Powell, 19, and Anthony Taylor, 18, who are linked to the beating of former DOGE staffer Edward Coristine in Washington, D.C., are now facing federal charges for a series of assaults and attempted carjacking.
The teens are charged with two counts of first-degree robbery and assault with intent to commit robbery, each of which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, and attempted carjacking, which holds a penalty of up to five years.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeannine Pirro announced the charges in a press conference on Monday.
Pirro said the charges highlight “the need for accountability of offenders in the district.”
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“What’s significant about this case is the history of Lawrence Cotton Powell,” she said.
Pirro said that despite being a repeat offender and already having a criminal history involving assault, Powell had been let off by D.C. judges shortly before he beat and robbed Coristine. She said that despite the U.S. Attorney’s office requesting jail time for Powell, his sentence was suspended by a local judge on July 25, just days before he attacked Coristine.
“After a felony of attempted robbery conviction, after a violation of probation, after a second crime, after a second conviction, after no compliance with CSOSA [Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency], the judges say, ‘Do better,’ and they let him go. And guess what? Within ten days, he’s at it again,” said Pirro.
According to Pirro, Powell and Taylor, with a gang of several others, assaulted and robbed another individual just minutes before attacking Coristine. Pirro said that upon seeing the gang of approximately ten suspects approaching, Coristine pushed a female friend into her car in an attempt to keep her safe.
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“He was then attacked by multiple suspects who then punched him repeatedly, causing significant injuries to him. They got him on the ground, and as they were doing so, they demanded the car from the woman who was inside the car and had already locked the car. They were banging on the car, they were pulling on the car door, trying to get the car open, and were telling the woman in the car to hand over the keys,” said Pirro.
Pirro urged the D.C. City Council to “reconsider” its laws that “allow these young people to go out and victimize, revictimize and keep revictimizing and putting the safety of the citizens who live, work and visit here at risk.”
“I ask them to stand up finally and send a clear message, because the people of this district deserve no less than safety,” said Pirro.
Coristine was assaulted at approximately 3 a.m. by a group of teenagers in D.C.’s Logan Circle neighborhood.
A photo of a bloodied Coristine went viral, sparking outrage over the city’s handling of crime and drawing President Donald Trump’s attention. The president slammed D.C., saying crime in the city was “totally out of control.”
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“Local ‘youths’ and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent citizens, at the same time knowing that they will be almost immediately released. They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Days later, Trump directed federal law enforcement to increase its presence throughout D.C. He also deployed members of the National Guard to patrol the city and assumed federal control of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
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