Demonta King, 18, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced in Superior Court for his involvement in two violent crimes: an armed carjacking in November 2024 and an armed robbery in August 2022. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
King pleaded guilty on April 4, 2025, to one count of armed carjacking and one count of armed robbery. Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro sentenced King to fifteen years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. The judge denied King’s request to be sentenced under the Youth Rehabilitation Act. Prosecutors had sought a twenty-two-year sentence.
According to evidence presented by the government, on November 18, 2024, King approached a taxicab driver in the 5000 block of Fort Totten Drive NE while armed with a knife. He told the victim, “Give me everything,” and demanded his keys. King stabbed the driver in the hand before taking his keys and stealing the cab along with other personal items. Police later found King driving the stolen vehicle at high speed in Hyattsville, Maryland. After crashing the car, he fled on foot but was apprehended by officers.
In another incident on August 26, 2022, King robbed a different victim at gunpoint near Gallatin Street and 1st Place NE. He took the victim’s backpack and cell phone before striking him in the face with the firearm and fleeing. At that time, King was sixteen years old but was prosecuted as an adult under Title 16.
U.S. Attorney Pirro and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith commended investigators from both agencies for their work on this case. They also recognized Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Greene for prosecuting the matter.
“Joining in the announcement was and 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 and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They also acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Greene, who prosecuted the case.”
