District Man Sentenced to 27 Years for Violent Sexual Assault in October 2006

DNA Evidence Tied Him to Crime

WASHINGTON—United States Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced that Robert Carlton Young, 50, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced yesterday by the Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr. to 27 years in prison for two counts of first degree sexual abuse, one count of kidnapping and one count of third degree sexual abuse. On May 19, 2010, a jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia returned guilty verdicts on these counts against Young, stemming from a violent sexual assault in the Fort Totten area of the District.

According to the evidence presented at trial, on October 11, 2006, during the late afternoon hours, Young followed the 19-year-old victim into her apartment building and grabbed her from behind by her hair and put a key to her throat, just as she was about to enter her apartment. Young dragged and pushed the victim down to the basement of her building, where he raped her multiple times. Afterward, he fled the building and the victim ran to her apartment, where she immediately reported the crime to her family, who called the police.

The victim was taken to Howard University Hospital, where a sexual assault examination was conducted. Swabs taken from the victim during the examination were sent to the FBI Laboratory for DNA testing. The FBI Laboratory placed the male DNA profile found on one of these swabs into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a web of state and national databases containing DNA profiles from convicted offenders and crime scenes that is used as an investigative tool. The defendant was identified as a suspect through a CODIS search and DNA “cold hit.” The FBI then did further DNA testing, which confirmed that Young was the assailant.

Young was sentenced to 27 years on each of the two counts of first degree sexual abuse, 10 years in prison on the count of kidnapping and 4½ years in prison on the count of third degree sexual abuse, with each sentence to run concurrently. Following his prison term, Young will be placed on lifetime supervised release and be required to register as sex offender for life.

U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of MPD Detective Karen Zibrat and Mobile Crime Officer John Holder, who did an exemplary job investigating the case, processing the scene and working with the victim and other witnesses. He praised the work of the FBI’s Forensic Examiners, as well as MPD Trace Evidence Examiner Harold Deadman. U.S. Attorney Machen also praised the work of Investigator John Marsh from the Criminal Investigations Unit, who conducted forensic analysis on the victim’s cell phone, and expressed special thanks to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Donovan and Michael Ambrosino, who provided assistance and guidance on DNA-related issues. He also commended the work of Paralegal Jason Manuel, Legal Assistant Nicole Lee, Intelligence Analysts Larry Grasso, Sharon Johnson, Shannon Alexis, and Bill Hamann, Victim/Witness Assistance Unit Staff Katina Adams, LaJune Thames and David Foster, and Leif Hickling from Litigation Services, all of whom provided critical support in preparing for trial. Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen expressed his special appreciation to Victim/Witness Advocate Iris Vega who worked closely with the victim and other witnesses, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Last, who investigated and prosecuted this case.