Antonio Moses, First-Degree Sexual Abuse, District of Columbia 2013

A horrific crime has shaken the streets of Northeast Washington, leaving a young woman with a lifetime of trauma. On August 3, 2008, at approximately 10:30 p.m., 18-year-old victim returned to her home after buying groceries. Unbeknownst to her, a stranger, Antonio Moses, 32, of Washington D.C., was waiting in the shadows.

Moses grabbed the victim from behind and threw her to the floor, choking her and dragging her into her bedroom while holding a small kitchen knife to her throat. He threatened to hurt her if she screamed, silencing her with a chilling warning. The victim was forced to endure a harrowing hour-long ordeal, all while Moses continued to hold her captive.

It wasn’t until the sound of someone at the front door finally broke the silence that Moses fled the scene, leaving his traumatized victim in a state of shock. The victim’s sexual assault kit was sent to a DNA laboratory for analysis, but it would take four years for the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit to receive an investigative lead that would finally identify Moses as the perpetrator.

On January 2013, Moses pled guilty to a charge of first-degree sexual abuse in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced that Moses was sentenced to a 14-year prison term on April 12, 2013. Upon completion of his prison term, Moses will be placed on five years of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

U.S. Attorney Machen praised the outstanding work of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit, as well as the efforts of those who worked on the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Donhue Griffith and Victim Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan. He also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay Suttenberg, who investigated this case.

The sentence handed down to Moses is a testament to the tireless efforts of law enforcement and the justice system. While nothing can undo the harm caused to the victim, the knowledge that Moses will be held accountable for his heinous crime brings a measure of closure.

In the end, justice has been served, and the streets of Northeast Washington are a little bit safer thanks to the bravery of the victim and the dedication of those who worked to bring Moses to justice.

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