D.C. Protective Services Officer Sentenced

The US Attorney reports the following:

Former D.C. Protective Services Officer Sentenced to
12 Years in Prison for Violent Sexual Assault

Washington, D.C. - James Guerra, 39, formerly of the 400 block of 4th Street, NW, was
sentenced today by the Honorable Michael Rankin of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to 12 years of incarceration, after being convicted on July 27, 2009, of First Degree Sexual Abuse while Armed, Third Degree Sexual Abuse while Armed and Kidnapping, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips.

According to the government’s evidence at trial, Guerra, who was employed as a D.C.
Protective Services Police Officer at the time of this offense, and the victim were friends for about a year. The defendant met the victim shortly after she arrived from overseas to work for one year as an au pair. While still friends, the defendant repeatedly attempted to make the relationship more than a friendship and the victim repeatedly rejected his advances.

On September 26, 2008, the defendant lured the victim to his one-room apartment by feigning illness. When she arrived to render aid and saw that the defendant was not sick, she tried to leave. The defendant trapped her inside his apartment and, after an argument, pushed her face down onto his bed, punched her in the back and head, covered her head with a blanket, and choked her. He then wielded a sharp knife at the victim and told her that he would kill her.

After handcuffing the victim’s wrists together and belting the handcuffs to the bed, the defendant raped the victim while she struggled to stop him.

In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips commended lead Metropolitan
Police Department (MPD) Detective Wandella Fields, who did an exemplary job investigating the case and working with the victim and other witnesses. He also praised the outstanding assistance of MPD Detective Wallace Carmichael, Mobile Crime Officers George Klein, John Holder, Leother Strong, Officer Sarah Pezzat, and Detective Derek Bolding. Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips particularly noted the assistance of U.S. Secret Service Agent Kyo Dolan, who processed the cell phones and provided tremendous litigation support. He also praised the work of Paralegals Gena Johnson, Joyce Arthur, and Jason Manuel, Legal Assistant Tiffany Jones,
Criminal Investigator John Marsh, Intelligence Analyst Larry Grasso, Law Clerk Charles (Andy) Davis, and Jeanie Latimore-Brown and Dontrell Smith from Litigation Services. Additionally, the commended Victim/Witness Advocates Tracey Hawkins and Veronica Vaughn for their work with the victim and witnesses, and David Foster who assisted the victim and witnesses in returning to the United States to testify.

Finally, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips expressed his appreciation to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Donovan and Tracey Lankler, who investigated and prosecuted this case.