Six teenagers, all from Maryland, were indicted today on murder, armed robbery, and other charges stemming from the slaying last fall of 18-year-old Olijawon Griffin at the Woodley Park Metro station, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Michael Taborn, Chief of the Metro Transit Police.
The defendants, charged as adults, were indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. They have been in custody since their arrests last year.
Only one of the six defendants – Chavez Myers, 17 – previously was charged with the murder. The indictment alleges that all six teenagers are responsible for Mr. Griffin’s death.
In addition to Myers, of District Heights, the defendants include Muquan Cawthorne, 16, of Mount Rainier; Isaiah Gant, 16, of Hyattsville; Gary Maye, 17, of Hyattsville; Deon Jefferson, 17, of Landover, and Immanuel Swann, 17, of Brentwood.
Myers was indicted on a charge of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, and the others were indicted on a charge of felony murder. In addition, all six defendants were indicted on charges of armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault causing significant bodily injury, and weapons offenses for their roles in attacks on Mr. Griffin and one of his friends. If convicted, the defendants could face decades in prison for the crimes.
The six teenagers, and three others not identified by name in the indictment, allegedly conspired on Nov. 16, 2012 and Nov. 17, 2012 to commit robberies in the District of Columbia. According to the indictment, plans called for robbing people of their iPhones and other items of value. The group took a Metro train on the night of Nov. 16, 2012, from the West Hyattsville, Md. station to the Gallery Place/Chinatown station in Northwest Washington. From there, they took another train to the Woodley Park Metro station to begin their crimes, the indictment states.
After leaving the Metro station, they crossed the Duke Ellington Bridge to the Adams Morgan area to find targets, the indictment alleges.
The indictment alleges that the group decided to target Mr. Griffin shortly after midnight, early Nov. 17, attacking him near a gas station in the 1800 block of Adams Mill Road NW. Cawthorne, who was carrying a gun, gave it to Maye, and Maye pointed it at Mr. Griffin, the indictment alleges. Mr. Griffin was robbed of his Helly Hansen coat and hat. The nine assailants then walked back toward the Woodley Park Metro station, intending to take a train back to West Hyattsville, the indictment states, and Jefferson was wearing Mr. Griffin’s coat.
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