Antoine Lynch, a 38-year-old resident of Washington, D.C., received an 18-year prison sentence for the shooting death of Delonte Maxwell. The incident occurred on the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Ave. Southeast in Washington, D.C., as announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The U.S. Attorney's Office had sought a longer sentence of 26 years, which would have been at the top end of Lynch's sentencing guidelines range of 14 to 26 years. Lynch entered a guilty plea to one count of second-degree murder while armed on March 22, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Evidence presented by the government indicated that Lynch initially engaged in a verbal altercation with Mr. Maxwell near his residence. After chasing him away, Lynch was informed by a friend that Mr. Maxwell remained in the area. Armed with a firearm and accompanied by his friend and young daughter, Lynch confronted Mr. Maxwell again and shot him at close range as they crossed paths on the sidewalk.
In their announcement, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended those involved in investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and expressed gratitude for assistance from Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. They also recognized contributions from members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office including Assistant United States Attorney Kacie Weston, Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera, and Victim/Witness Advocate Christina Bloodworth.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Ganjei was acknowledged for his role in investigating and prosecuting this case.