District Man Pleads Guilty to Murder in Slaying of Man in Northeast Washington

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: District Man Pleads Guilty to Murder in Slaying of Man in Northeast Washington

            WASHINGTON – Montez Warren, 36, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to a charge of second-degree murder while armed for killing a man in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.

            Warren pled guilty on Feb. 5, 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a prison sentence of 15 to 22 years. The Honorable Milton C. Lee scheduled sentencing for April 27, 2018.

            According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on the evening of Aug. 20, 2016, numerous people attended a cookout and fish fry in the 1200 block of 18th Place NE, including Warren and the victim, Dante Miller. In the early morning hours of Aug. 21, 2016, the party wore down, and an argument erupted between Mr. Miller and a woman who was with Warren. Warren tried to break up the fight, but the confrontation soon resumed. As the fighting continued to escalate, Warren fired several shots at Mr. Miller. He kept firing his weapon even as Mr. Miller tried to run away. Then, as Mr. Miller fell to the ground, Warren stood over top of him and fired several additional shots. He then rode off in a car. Mr. Miller, 24, died at the scene.  An autopsy identified eight gunshot wounds, including one to the chest and one to the abdomen.

            An investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) led to Warren’s arrest on Oct. 12, 2016. He has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, and the U.S. Park Police. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman and Paralegal Specialist Lornce Applewhite. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Misler and Glenn Kirschner, who investigated and prosecuted the case.