Capitol Hill Armed Robber Gets 16.5 Years in Prison

WASHINGTON - Dereon Butler, 19, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 16.5 years in prison after pleading guilty to his participation in an armed robbery spree that occurred in December 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

"This defendant was just 17 years old when he and his co-conspirators drove into a Capitol Hill neighborhood and deliberately targeted innocent residents to rob," said U.S. Attorney Pirro. "In all, eight people were held at gunpoint and ten were stripped of their valuables. This kind of violent conduct has no place in our community, and today, he is being held fully accountable."

Butler pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, on June 4, 2026, to three counts of armed robbery. At the time of the offenses, Butler was charged as an adult pursuant to Title 16. Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur ordered Butler to serve the prison term to be followed by five years of supervised release.

According to the government's evidence, early in the morning, on December 2, 2024, Butler and his co-conspirators drove two stolen vehicles, a gray Kia Sorento and a red Lexus sedan, to a Capitol Hill neighborhood with plans to locate and target commuting pedestrians to rob them at gunpoint. In all, ten different unsuspecting pedestrians were approached, throughout numerous locations, and eight had a firearm brandished at them. These victims were robbed of their wallets, purses, cell phones, and other personal belongings. Butler fled the scene before police arrived.

He was arrested on July 22, 2025, and has been in custody since. 

Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.  

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Levy, who prosecuted the case. 

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