Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Targeting Casino Patrons in Robberies and Carjackings

U.S. Attorney’s Office
Eastern District of Michigan
13 April 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Detroit One collaboration of local, state, and federal law enforcement has led to the guilty plea of a Detroit man for conspiring to rob patrons of Detroit-area casinos at gunpoint that evolved into armed carjackings and identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider.

Joining in the announcement was Timothy Slater, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Col Kriste Kibbey Etue, Michigan State Police.

Chief Judge Denise Page Hood accepted the guilty of Damon Washington, 27, of Detroit. Washington’s plea agreement calls for a sentence of 39 to 41 years in prison.

According to court records, the plan started in August 2017 and lasted until police arrested Washington during an attempted carjacking on October 2, 2017. Washington initially intended only to rob casino patrons of their winnings, but the robberies quickly escalated into carjackings during which Washington and his co-conspirator would cause a traffic accident and then rob victims of their money, phone, and wallets before carjacking them. Police searched Washington’s home after his arrest and discovered he had identity documents for his robbery and carjacking victims, three dozen fraudulent credit cards, and equipment to produce more counterfeit credit cards.

The case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crime Task Force, which includes representatives of the Michigan State Police and Detroit Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeanine Brunson and Shane Cralle.