WASHINGTON, DC – Sean Branch, 31, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury of first-degree burglary while armed, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and other charges related to a violent home invasion and assault on a woman and her twelve-year-old son. The incident occurred in Southeast Washington, D.C., on September 11, 2020, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Branch was also convicted of three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of second-degree cruelty to children, and two counts of threats to do bodily harm. The verdict was returned on July 3, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, presided over by the Honorable Michael O’Keefe. A sentencing date has not yet been set, but Branch faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison for his offenses.
According to the government’s evidence, Branch had formed a friendship with the adult victim during the summer of 2020, which led to him storing belongings in her apartment. In the days leading up to the offense, Branch and the victim argued over whether he could continue to store his belongings there. On September 11, 2020, shortly after 8:30 a.m., Branch broke into the apartment through an exterior window, wearing a ski mask. He approached the woman and her child in the living room, struck the woman in the face with a gun, causing severe bleeding, and then dragged them to the back bedroom while repeatedly demanding his belongings. Branch pointed the gun at the child’s head and threatened to kill both victims before fleeing the scene.
The victims identified Branch based on his voice and the context of the offense. MPD officers recovered surveillance footage showing Branch fleeing from the ground floor balcony wearing a ski mask. Officers also found a pair of sweatpants and a jacket along Branch’s flight path that matched the assailant’s appearance on video. DNA testing linked Branch to the recovered clothing.
The case underscores the efforts of the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring justice to victims of violent crime in the District of Columbia.