WASHINGTON D.C. – A former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer was brutally attacked and nearly carjacked in a brazen August 3rd incident, and now two men are facing charges. Laurence Cotton-Powell, 19, of the District, and Anthony Taylor, 18, of Temple Hills, Maryland, have been indicted in D.C. Superior Court for the attempted carjacking, robbery, and vicious beating. Cotton-Powell appeared in court Friday, October 17th, and Taylor on Saturday, October 18th, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The attacks weren’t isolated. Court documents reveal Cotton-Powell and Taylor are also linked to an earlier assault and robbery at a Sunoco gas station on the 1400 block of U Street. Around 2:53 a.m., the pair, along with a larger group, descended on a male victim and his friends, initiating a brutal assault. Cotton-Powell allegedly stomped on the victim’s head, while Taylor actively participated in the beating. The victim briefly escaped, but the group pursued and continued the attack, making off with his watch and even one of his shoes. Several of the victim’s friends were also injured.
Less than ten minutes later, around 3:00 a.m., the same group targeted the DOGE employee on Swann Street, NW, as he escorted a woman to her car. Showing a chilling disregard for the woman’s safety, the DOGE employee shoved her into her vehicle to shield her from the escalating violence. The group then turned on him, unleashing a flurry of punches and repeatedly hitting him while demanding the car. They pounded on the vehicle and desperately tried to wrench open the doors, but the woman had wisely locked them.
Luck intervened when a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer on patrol happened upon the scene. The sight of law enforcement sent the group scattering, but officers managed to apprehend two 15-year-old juveniles at the scene. The investigation quickly zeroed in on Cotton-Powell and Taylor. Following his arrest on October 16th, Cotton-Powell confessed to assaulting the gas station victim and admitted to kicking and punching the DOGE employee. Taylor, arrested October 17th, corroborated the details, confessing to his role in both attacks, including demanding the car keys from the DOGE staffer and physically assaulting him.
Both men are now facing serious charges: attempted unarmed carjacking, two counts of robbery, and two counts of assault with intent to commit robbery. U.S. Attorney Pirro was blunt: “We are leaving no stone unturned to bring to justice criminals who perpetrate random, unprovoked, and brutal attacks…This is about the safety of individuals in this community.” She emphasized that the rights of the victims will be fiercely protected and justice pursued “swiftly and vigorously.”
The investigation remains ongoing, led by the MPD and the United States Marshals Service. Commander Don Snider of the Marshals Service and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the MPD joined Pirro in announcing the charges, signaling a unified front against escalating violence in the District. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on any developments as they unfold.
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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