Greenbelt, Maryland – Rashaun Onley, age 22, of Washington, D.C., pleaded responsible as we speak to federal fees of committing an armed industrial theft, carjacking, and utilizing, carrying, and brandishing a firearm throughout and in relation to a criminal offense of violence.  

The responsible plea was introduced by United States Legal professional for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Particular Agent in Cost Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Discipline Workplace; Chief Robert J. Contee III of the Metropolitan Police Division; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Division; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Division; Chief Don Hayes of the Metropolis of Alexandria, Virginia Police Division; Chief Charles “Andy” Penn of the Arlington County, Virginia Police Division; and Montgomery County State’s Legal professional John McCarthy; and Prince George’s County State’s Legal professional Aisha Braveboy.

In keeping with his responsible plea, within the early morning of February 5, 2021, Onley and a co-defendant entered a comfort retailer in Silver Spring, Maryland, chosen some objects from the cabinets, and approached the counter.  Onley grabbed a comfort retailer worker, Sufferer 1, by the shirt, struck Sufferer 1 within the head, led Sufferer 1 behind the counter, and compelled Sufferer 1 to his knees.  Onley then brandished a black semiautomatic handgun and ordered Sufferer 1 and Sufferer 2, one other worker, to open the money register.  Sufferer 2 opened the money register and Onley and the co-defendant eliminated the money from the register and fled.  Officers with the Montgomery County Police Division (“MCPD”) recovered video surveillance footage confirmed Onley and his co-defendant committing the theft.

Additionally on February 5, 2021, at roughly 4:57 p.m., in Alexandria, Virginia, three males carjacked at gunpoint a darkish grey Volkswagen Tiguan with Pennsylvania registration plates (“Volkswagen”).  Sufferer 3, the motive force, reported that he had simply parked his car when one suspect informed Sufferer 3 to get out of the car, whereas a second suspect pointed a black handgun at Sufferer 3.  Sufferer 3 started to get out of the automotive however was grabbed by a suspect and pulled away from the car.  All three suspects fled within the Volkswagen.  Sufferer 3 reported that his iPhone was nonetheless contained in the car.

As detailed in Onley’s plea settlement, somewhat multiple hour later, Onley, his co-defendant, and Co-Conspirator 1 carjacked at gunpoint Sufferer 4, who was driving a Lexus ES300 (“Lexus”) in Silver Spring.  Onley approached Sufferer 4 first with a gun in his hand and said, “I’m gonna blow you up, give me your cash and keys.”  Onley’s co-defendant, who additionally was armed with a gun, approached Sufferer 4 and demanded his automotive keys.  Co-Conspirator 1 was driving the Volkswagen.  Fearing for his life, Sufferer 4 handed over his property.  Onley’s co-defendant drove the Lexus away, whereas Onley bought into the entrance passenger seat of the Volkswagen and fled the scene.  A short while later the Lexus was situated deserted close by.

In keeping with the plea settlement, roughly two minutes after the carjacking of the Lexus, Onley and the co-defendant approached Sufferer 5, who was sitting in a Mercedes ML350 sport utility car (“Mercedes”).  Onley ordered Sufferer 5 to “get out” whereas he pointed a gun at her.  Sufferer 5 exited in concern for her life, whereas Onley and his co-defendant took Sufferer 5’s car and fled the scene.  MCPD officers interviewed Sufferer 5 and obtained surveillance footage referring to the carjacking.

Lower than half-hour later, Onley and his co-defendant had been seen arriving within the Volkswagen on surveillance video capturing the surface of the co-defendant’s residence, an condo constructing situated in Washington, D.C.  They each had been sporting the identical clothes seen within the surveillance movies of the Silver Spring carjacking of the Mercedes and within the theft of the comfort retailer.  A short while later, Onley exited the constructing and stood on the entrance porch, the place he eliminated a cell phone from his pocket, smashed the cellphone on the concrete porch, and threw the cellphone within the entrance dust or garden space of the constructing.  Regulation enforcement recovered the smashed cellphone two days later and confirmed that it was the iPhone belonging to Sufferer 3 that was left inside the Volkswagen.

Later that night, the carjacked Mercedes parked in entrance of the Volkswagen.  Onley and his co-defendant got here out of the condo constructing, went to the motive force’s facet of the Mercedes, and spoke with the three occupants of the car.  After a couple of minutes, the three occupants exited the Mercedes, bought into the Volkswagen, and drove away.  Onley and his co-defendant went again into the condo constructing.

That very same night, officers with the Metropolitan Police Division (“MPD”) noticed the carjacked Volkswagen touring in Washington D.C.  After a pursuit, the occupants of the Volkswagen, together with Co-Conspirator 1, bailed out of the car.  MPD situated and arrested Co-Conspirator 1.  The Maryland license plate from the carjacked Mercedes was additionally situated a brief distance away.

On February 17, 2021, the Mercedes was recovered from the road in entrance of the co-defendant’s condo constructing.

Late within the night of February 26, 2021, the co-defendant and Onley had been ‘livestreaming’ and posting on social media about being at a resort get together in Arlington, Virginia.  Regulation enforcement established surveillance on Onley and his co-defendant on the resort and continued to watch the co-defendant’s social media account, the place they had been capable of see semiautomatic handguns within the resort room.  MCPD officers apprehended Onley and the co-defendant within the resort room.  Previous to being apprehended, the co-defendant threw a bag from the resort room window, which legislation enforcement promptly recovered.  The contents of the bag included two loaded firearms and 21 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition.

Onley and the federal government have agreed that, if the Court docket accepts the plea settlement, Onley can be sentenced to between 12 years and 16 years in federal jail.  U.S. District Choose George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for August 19, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.  Onley has been detained since his arrest.

This case is a part of Challenge Protected Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing collectively all ranges of legislation enforcement and the communities they serve to cut back violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everybody.  PSN, an evidence-based program confirmed to be efficient at lowering violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Division of Justice’s violent crime discount efforts.  Via PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work collectively to establish essentially the most urgent violent crime issues in the neighborhood and develop complete options to handle them.  As a part of this technique, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on essentially the most violent offenders and companions with domestically primarily based prevention and reentry applications for lasting reductions in crime.

United States Legal professional Erek L. Barron counseled the FBI, the Metropolitan Police Division, the Montgomery County Police Division, the Prince George’s County Police Division, the Metropolis of Alexandria Police Division and the Arlington County, Virginia Police Division for his or her work within the investigation and thanked the Montgomery County State’s Legal professional’s Workplace and the Prince George’s County State’s Legal professional’s Workplace for his or her help.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Legal professional Timothy F. Hagan, who’s prosecuting the case.

For extra info on the Maryland U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace, its priorities, and assets obtainable to assist the group, please go to https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

# # #