WASHINGTON — A D.C. man, Stephon Lee, has been sentenced to 129 months in prison following a spree of robberies that targeted various local businesses across the District.
Lee, who entered a guilty plea on April 19, faced charges that included two counts of armed Robbery, counts of robbery, one depend of tried armed robbery, and one depend of second-diploma theft. His sentencing took place on Friday. From April to July 2023, Lee’s criminal activities encompassed thefts at dry cleaners, fast-food outlets, a pharmacy, and two convenience stores. He typically chose times when these establishments were least crowded. In several instances, he resorted to violence when he could not easily access the money.
On April 5 at a dry cleaners on Alabama Avenue, Southeast, where Lee, feigning as a customer, assaulted an employee to force open the cash register. In another instance, on June 18, he snatched cash from a fast-food restaurant on Riggs Road, Northeast, after initially leaving under the guise of fetching money to pay. His robbery spree continued with aggressive tactics, including threatening a pharmacy employee with a knife on June 23 and violently breaking open a cash register at a food market on July 10 after being pepper-sprayed by a store employee.
This series of violent robberies concluded with Lee’s arrest and subsequent conviction, bringing some relief to the affected communities.
