Federal prosecutors on Monday announced new criminal charges against two more suspects in the violent summer attack that left former Department of Government Efficiency worker Edward “Big Balls” Coristine severely injured, in a case that has fueled public anger over violent youth crime in the nation’s capital.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said 19-year-old Lawrence Cotton-Powell and 18-year-old Anthony Taylor were arrested last week and charged with attempted unarmed carjacking, robbery and assault with intent to commit robbery. Both could face decades in prison if convicted. Two 15-year-olds had previously been charged in the same attack but were released by a local judge.
“Today, we are announcing that Lawrence Cotton-Powell, 19, along with Anthony Taylor, 18, are now charged with assault,” Pirro said during a press conference. She said Cotton-Powell already has a lengthy criminal record and had been repeatedly released despite committing multiple violent crimes in the past year.
Pirro accused D.C. judges of creating a “revolving door” justice system that allows violent offenders back onto the streets. “After a felony conviction for attempted robbery, after a probation violation, after another assault, after failing to comply with supervision — he was still released,” she said. “Within ten days, he was back out, brutally assaulting Edward Coristine and another victim.”
The charges stem from two assaults that occurred within minutes of each other early on August 3 in Northwest Washington. Police say Cotton-Powell and Taylor were part of a group that attacked 22-year-old Ethan Levine and his friends outside a Sunoco gas station on U Street, where Levine was stomped on and robbed of his sneakers and watch. Minutes later, the same group confronted Coristine and a female friend near Swan Street, where Coristine was beaten after he pushed the woman into her car to protect her from the attackers.
Coristine later appeared on Fox News to describe the assault, saying the attack happened just after 3 a.m. “They ran up on me, slammed me against the car, and started throwing punches,” he said. “I just tried to protect my head the best I could. I ended up with a broken nose and a concussion. It could’ve been much worse.”
A Metropolitan Police officer on patrol witnessed part of the attack and called for backup, causing the suspects to scatter. Two juveniles were arrested that night, but were released into family court custody. The lenient treatment drew sharp criticism from the public and from President Trump, who praised Coristine as a “hero” and ordered additional federal personnel to assist D.C. police.
Pirro used the case to criticize what she called a failure of the city’s criminal justice policies, blaming local judges and the D.C. Council for laws that make it harder to detain young offenders. “This case underscores the escalating challenges we face in confronting crime in Washington, D.C.,” she said. “It is time for the D.C. Council to reconsider the laws that allow these young offenders to go out and victimize again and again. The people of this district deserve safety — not excuses.”
Pirro detailed Cotton-Powell’s criminal record, saying he had been sentenced for a felony attempted robbery in April but given probation by a Superior Court judge. Within a month, she said, he was arrested again for assault and possession of a prohibited weapon, but the same judge released him. “After a second conviction, after no compliance with supervision, the judge told him to ‘do better’ and let him go,” Pirro said. “Within 10 days, he was at it again.”
Taylor, from Maryland, faces the same charges, though prosecutors said they are still investigating his background.
Pirro credited the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Mayor Muriel Bowser for helping identify and apprehend the two suspects, saying it was a “coordinated effort.”
The attack on Coristine became a rallying point for conservatives who have criticized D.C.’s lenient crime policies and rising youth violence. Trump shared a photograph of Coristine’s injuries shortly after the assault, writing that “this brave young man deserves justice, not excuses.”
Cotton-Powell and Taylor are being held in federal custody and are expected to make their first court appearances later this week.
