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Today we announce charges against Lawrence Cotton Powell, 19, and Anthony Taylor, 18, for assaulting Ethan Levine and for related crimes involving Edward Corristine.
Lawrence Cotton Powell is charged with first-degree robbery (fifteen years), assault with intent to commit robbery (fifteen years), and robbery (fifteen years) for the attack on Edward Corristine, along with assault with intent to commit robbery (fifteen years) and attempted carjacking (five years). The incidents described show Powell stomping on Levine’s head; Levine rose briefly but was chased, downed again, and the group continued the assault while Levine was on the ground, then robbed him of his sneakers and watch. Minutes later, the group attacked Edward Corristine while he was escorting a young woman to her car; Corristine was punched repeatedly and brought to the ground. The suspects demanded the car from the woman inside the locked car, banging on the door and urging her to surrender the keys; a Metropolitan Police Department officer on patrol witnessed the assault as the suspects attacked Corristine. The juveniles fled, and two 15-year-olds were later arrested and taken into the family court by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office.
Powell’s history is highlighted as significant. On April 3, Powell was sentenced for felony attempted robbery. The office sought jail time, but Judge McClain, a Superior Court criminal-part judge with no criminal background, granted probation despite the felony conviction. Within 31 days, Powell reoffended and was rearrested on charges of simple assault and possession of a prohibited weapon. On May 4, the office sought probation revocation. On May 16, Judge McClain released Powell again, telling him to be a good boy. On July 24, Powell was sentenced for one of the two misdemeanors he faced, with the office again requesting jail time after victimizing another person. On July 25, another judge suspended Powell’s sentence and placed him on probation. After a felony attempted robbery conviction, a violation of probation, another crime, another conviction, and noncompliance with conditions of supervision, the judges allegedly told him to do better and released him. Ten days later, Powell committed acts against Levine and Corristine.
Anthony Taylor, Powell’s co-defendant, is charged with the same offenses as Powell: robbery, assault with intent to commit robbery, and related counts. Taylor is from Maryland and is 18 years old; there is no additional history provided about him in this briefing.
The speaker extends thanks to the Metropolitan Police Department for their hard work and dedication in pursuing these cases.