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WASHINGTON - A District of Columbia man was sentenced on Tuesday to more than 17 years in prison for his involvement in a series of armed robberies across the D.C. metropolitan area.
205 months in prison
By the numbers:
U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton handed down a 205-month prison term, followed by five years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Tavarus Thompson, 32, pleaded guilty in March 2024 to conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce and to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, according to a press release.
What they're saying:
"Thompson committed dozens of armed robberies and attempted armed robberies in less than three months—targeting restaurant workers, store clerks and gas station attendants, ordinary people simply doing their jobs," U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said in a statement. "Each time, they were forced to stare down the barrel of a gun. Thompson turned workplaces into war zones. This is the kind of individual who does not belong in our society, and today, he is being held fully accountable."
The backstory:
The crimes began in mid-January 2022 with a robbery at a gas station in Northeast D.C., the release said.
Authorities later stopped a stolen vehicle in early March of that year, which led to the arrest of one co-defendant, Stephon Harrigan. Thompson was arrested in South Carolina on March 18, and another co-defendant, Aaron Harrigan, was taken into custody later that month.
Both co-defendants were also sentenced for their roles in the offenses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Stephon Harrigan received 210 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and firearm charges, and Aaron Harrigan was sentenced to 87 months following a guilty plea to conspiracy.
The Source: Information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.