Executive Summary
- Two men convicted of a 2024 armed carjacking in D.C. received fully suspended sentences under the Youth Rehabilitation Act.
- Prosecutors had requested seven-year prison terms for both defendants, citing sentencing guidelines.
- Judge Jennifer DiToro imposed probation terms of 12 months and two years, respectively, over government objections.
- The defendants were apprehended after fleeing to the Pentagon parking lot and discarding firearms.
WASHINGTON — Two young men convicted in a September 2024 armed carjacking in Northeast Washington have received fully suspended sentences under the District of Columbia’s Youth Rehabilitation Act, a ruling delivered despite federal prosecutors requesting seven-year prison terms. Superior Court Judge Jennifer DiToro handed down the sentences for Julan Byrd, 18, and Antonio Kent, 20, citing the provisions of the Act which allows for leniency in sentencing for eligible youth offenders.
According to court documents, the incident occurred on September 1, 2024, in the 5500 block of Jay Street NE. Byrd, Kent, and a third suspect approached a victim who was washing his vehicle. One suspect brandished a handgun and demanded the keys, after which the group fled in the stolen vehicle. Authorities state that Byrd drove the vehicle to the parking lot of the Pentagon, where the suspects abandoned it and fled on foot. Law enforcement officials reported that both Byrd and Kent discarded handguns while running from the scene. Upon apprehension, Byrd was found wearing the victim’s key lanyard around his neck.
Julan Byrd, who was 17 at the time of the offense, pleaded guilty on November 17, 2025, to one count of armed robbery and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Prosecutors requested the top of the sentencing guidelines—seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Judge DiToro sentenced Byrd on Friday, February 27, 2026, to a fully suspended 60-month sentence with 12 months of supervised probation. The sentence was imposed over the government’s formal objection.
Co-defendant Antonio Kent pleaded guilty to identical charges and was sentenced on January 14, 2026. Similar to Byrd’s case, prosecutors sought seven years of incarceration. Judge DiToro sentenced Kent to a fully suspended 48-month sentence with two years of probation under the Youth Rehabilitation Act, also over the government’s objection. Neither defendant will serve additional jail time contingent upon the successful completion of their probation terms. The investigation was led by the Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the Arlington County Police Department, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, and the Virginia State Police.
Judicial Precedent & Public Safety
The application of the Youth Rehabilitation Act in cases involving violent felonies with firearms highlights the ongoing judicial debate regarding restorative justice versus deterrent sentencing in the District of Columbia. While the Act provides judicial discretion to offer rehabilitation pathways for offenders under the age of 22 to prevent future recidivism, the government’s objection and request for the maximum guideline sentence underscore a divergence in strategy regarding violent crime enforcement. This ruling establishes a notable instance where statutory youth provisions superseded the sentencing guidelines typically sought by federal prosecutors for armed offenses. It is important to note that the legal proceedings detailed herein follow the adjudication of charges filed following the initial arrests, at which point all defendants were presumed innocent until proven guilty.
