Marlon DeShan Perkins, Armed Robbery with Knife, Washington 2012

WASHINGTON – In a case that highlights the brazen nature of violent crime in our nation’s capital, Marlon DeShan Perkins, 36, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 11 years and 2 months in prison for robbing a woman while armed with a knife and for attacking two people who tried to stop him, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 5, 2012, at approximately 7:45 p.m., the victim and her six-year-old child were walking in an alley off the 100 block of Morse Street NE when Perkins approached them and brandished a knife. Perkins lunged at the victim with the knife, demanding her purse and threatening to kill her. In fear for her life, the victim dropped her purse. Perkins picked up the purse and fled down the alley. Two people attempted to intervene, and Perkins attempted to stab both of them before getting away.

The Metropolitan Police Department canvassed the area and found Perkins with the victim’s purse in his hands. In a separate case, Judge Patricia A. Broderick sentenced Perkins to an additional 180 days in jail for a weapons offense, in which Perkins entered a woman’s home in Southeast Washington and assaulted her, hitting her in the hand with a knife, causing a small laceration.

U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, which investigated the case, and commended Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Truong, who conducted the sentencing hearing in the case.

Perkins pled guilty in November 2012 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of robbery while armed with a knife and assault with a dangerous weapon. He was sentenced by Judge Broderick. Upon completion of his sentence, Perkins will be placed on five years of supervised release.

The case against Perkins is a stark reminder of the importance of community vigilance in preventing violent crime. As a society, we must continue to work together to ensure that those who commit such heinous crimes are held accountable.

The sentence was met with relief from the victim, who stated, ‘I just want to thank the brave individuals who intervened and the authorities for their tireless efforts in bringing this perpetrator to justice.’

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