Washington, D.C. Getaway Driver Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Carjacking and Gun Charges

U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Maryland
11 April 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced David Nathaniel Peebles, age 32, of Washington, D.C., late Friday, April 8, 2016 to eight years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for carjacking and being a felon in possession of a gun.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office; Chief Hank Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy; Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh; Chief Alan Goldberg of the Takoma Park Police Department; Chief Ronald A. Pavlik Jr.of the Metro Transit Police Department; Chief Cathy L. Lanier of the Metropolitan Police Department; and Chief Earl L. Cook of the Alexandria (City) Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, on February 8, 2012, Peebles, Jeffrey Franklin and another co-conspirator drove to the Manchester Road area of Silver Spring, Maryland, where they spotted an individual parking a 2008 Infiniti. As the individual got out of the vehicle, Peebles remained in the car while his co-conspirators approached the individual. At gunpoint, the co-conspirators demanded the keys to the car. The co-conspirators took the victim’s purse and keys, and then drove away in the Infiniti, with Peebles following behind.

On February 12, 2012, Peebles and two co-conspirators drove to the Russell Avenue area of Mount Rainier, Maryland, looking for carjacking targets. Again, Peebles remained in the car while the two co-conspirators approached victims in a 2004 Acura TL. One co-conspirator pointed a gun at the driver’s head and demanded that the driver get out of the car. The driver complied. The second co-conspirator approached the passenger in the Acura and demanded the passenger’s purse. When the victim did not immediately comply, the co-conspirator struck the victim in the face several times. During the assault, the other co-conspirator took the victim’s property. The co-conspirators then drove away in the Acura while Peebles followed.

During the course of the conspiracy, Peebles or a co-conspirator possessed a pistol with an obliterated serial number to use in the carjackings. Peebles had at least one previous felony conviction and therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

Jeffrey Carl Franklin, age 29, of Greenbelt, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the carjacking conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 21, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. Another member of the conspiracy, Samuel Damien Bynum, age 25, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 207 months in prison for conspiring to use a gun during carjackings, using a gun during a carjacking, carjacking and being a felon in possession of a gun and ammunition.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI; the Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, Takoma Park, Metro Transit, Alexandria and Metropolitan Police Departments; the Prince George’s County and Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Offices; and Maryland Attorney General’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan and Special Assistant Matthew L. Paeffgen, who prosecuted the case.