Washington DC Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking and Gun Charges |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland
16 December 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Greenbelt, Maryland – David Nathaniel Peebles, age 31, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to carjacking and to being a felon in possession of a gun.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office; Interim Chief Henry P. Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy; and Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh.
According to his plea agreement, between January 2011 and April 1, 2012, Peebles conspired with others to commit armed carjackings and other crimes of violence. Peebles and his co-conspirators communicated among themselves about committing carjackings, traveled together in search of potential carjacking targets, and armed themselves with firearms to be used while committing the carjacking.
Specifically, on February 8, 2012, Peebles, Jeffrey Carl Franklin, and another co-conspirator traveled by car to the Manchester Road area of Silver Spring, Maryland, where they spotted a victim parking a 2008 Infiniti. As the victim exited the vehicle, the two co-conspirators approached the victim while Peebles remained in the car. The co-conspirators confronted the victim and at gunpoint, demanded the keys to the car. The co-conspirators took the victim’s purse, which contained the keys to the Infiniti, then entered the Infiniti and drove away, with Peebles following behind in their vehicle.
On February 12, 2012, Peebles and two co-conspirators drove to the Russell Avenue area of Mount Rainier, Maryland, looking for carjacking targets. Again, Peebles remained in the car to act as the getaway driver, while the two co-conspirators approached victims in a 2004 Acura TL. One co-conspirator pointed a gun at the driver’s head and demanded that the driver get out of the car. The driver complied and the co-conspirator then stole the driver’s personal property. The second co-conspirator approached the passenger in the Acura and demanded the passenger’s purse. When the victim did not immediately comply, the co-conspirator struck the victim in the face several times. During the assault the other co-conspirator took the victim’s property. The co-conspirators then got into the Acura and drove away while Peebles followed in their vehicle.
During the course of the conspiracy, Peebles or a co-conspirator knowingly possessed 9 millimeter pistol, with an obliterated serial number, to use in the carjackings. Peebles has at least one previous felony conviction and therefore is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Peebles and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement Peebles will be sentenced to between seven and 15 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for April 8, 2016 at 2:00 p.m.
Jeffrey Carl Franklin, age 29, of Greenbelt, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the carjacking conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing. Another member of the conspiracy, Samuel Damien Bynum, age 25, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 207 months in prison, for conspiring to use a gun during carjackings, using a gun during a carjacking, carjacking and being a felon in possession of a gun and ammunition.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, the Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties Police Departments and State’s Attorney’s Offices, and Maryland Attorney General’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan and Special Assistant Matthew L. Paeffgen, who are prosecuting the case.