Damon McQuarters, 45, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for the killing of Michael Simpson outside a gas station in Northeast Washington. The sentencing took place on October 24, 2025, following McQuarters’ guilty plea to one count of second-degree murder in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
The Honorable Danya Dayson accepted the agreed sentencing range of 21 to 25 years and imposed a sentence of 22 years in prison, with an additional five years of supervised release.
According to government evidence, on August 24, 2024, at approximately 5:35 p.m., McQuarters approached Simpson while he was sitting with friends near the Citgo gas station at 3820 Minnesota Ave. NE. McQuarters took a handgun from his shorts pocket and shot Simpson once in the head before walking away. Simpson was taken to a hospital but died the following day.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the sentence alongside Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. “In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Kelly Blakeney, and Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington-Williams.”
“Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Coronado, who investigated and prosecuted the case.”
This press release was issued after a delay caused by a government shutdown and was made available once normal operations resumed.
