Greenbelt, Maryland – In recognition of October as Domestic Violence Education Month, the U.S. District Attorney for the District of Maryland highlights the recent prosecution of three defendants, in unrelated cases, for charges arising from separate incidents of domestic violence. violence, including assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping and malicious destruction of property by fire, respectively.
The guilty plea and convictions were announced by Erek L. Barron, the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Acting US Park Police Chief, Christopher Stock; Maryland State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci; Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison; and Baltimore City Fire Department chief Niles R. Ford.
“Domestic violence is a serious problem that is tearing apart the fabric of the family and society. Working with our local law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office does not hesitate to use appropriate federal statutes to address domestic violence and hold abusers to account,” said Maryland District Attorney Erek L. Barron.
On September 28, 2022, Kyrie Thompson, aged 28, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to attempted witness manipulation and kidnapping of a female victim who was the mother of his child. As explained at his plea hearing, in September 2019, when the victim drove her car to Thompson’s residence to drop off their child, Thompson got into the victim’s car and sent the victim to an address in Maryland. Once parked, Thompson forced the victim to have oral sex with him and Thompson recorded the attack on his cell phone. After the incident, victim Thompson drove back to his residence and the victim drove home and called the police.
In December 2019, a federal grand jury indicted Thompson with kidnapping. Shortly after, Thompson contacted the victim, begging her to change her statement to law enforcement so that Thompson could avoid prosecution.
Thompson faces a maximum life sentence for kidnapping, a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for attempted witness manipulation. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has not scheduled his sentencing hearing at this time.
According to suspect Currie’s IOU, Currie picked up the victim in February 2020 to transport her from her night job to her day job. While traveling in the car with Currie, the victim noticed that Currie was irritable and driving erratically. When Currie and the victim arrived at her day job, the case was still locked. While the victim waited for the manager to arrive and unlock the case, the victim and Currie got into an argument. During the argument, Currie threw the contents of a lemonade bottle at the victim and locked the victim in his car against her will. He then drove out of the parking lot, with the victim still trapped in the car. When the victim tried to call her boss on her cell phone, Currie threatened to crash the car and kill the victim.
Currie continued to argue with the victim, telling her that if she was happy with him, they would have no problems. Currie then told the victim to get out of the car, but when the victim tried to get out, he locked the doors again and drove erratically.
Finally, Currie turned onto the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, where he pulled out a box cutter and sliced the victim’s thigh. The victim began to cry and called 911. Currie told the victim he would take her to the emergency room. To tend to her wound, the victim wrapped her thigh in a shirt. Currie drove past an emergency center in Prince George’s County. The victim tried to call 911 again and Currie demanded her cell phone. When the victim refused to give Currie her phone, he pulled out a hot cigarette lighter and threatened to light the shirt she used to cover her wound. Currie then drove to an emergency room in Washington, D.C., where he ordered the victim to get out of the car. The victim stumbled into the emergency room and received medical attention, including 25 stitches. Currie admitted to locking the victim in the vehicle to maintain control of her and perpetuate an argument.
On September 21, 2022, U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Johnnie Currie, age 42, of Washington, D.C., to 46 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release for assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily harm in related to his attack on an ex-girlfriend. Judge Grimm also ordered that Currie attend domestic violence counseling.
United States v. Luther Moody Trent
According to court documents, in May 2021, Defendant Trent poured gasoline on the outside of a Baltimore home belonging to his former girlfriend (Victim 1), while Victim 1 and two other victims were inside the house. The fire caused significant damage to the home and adjacent property, but all three victims were alerted and escaped without injury.
Before the case went federal, Trent was interviewed by a local news station about the arson. During that interview, he claimed to have set the victim 1’s home on fire because he was angry that he could not see victim 1 within a romantic relationship. Further, Trent compared his actions to Romeo and Juliet, stating that “if I can’t have her, nobody can, or at least nobody in Baltimore.”
In August 2022, Defendant Trent was sentenced to 12 years in prison for willful destruction of property by fire. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander also ordered Trent to repay $612,700.12 to the owner of the property damaged by the fire.
If you are someone you know is a survivor of domestic violence or would like to report domestic violence, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800- 787-3224 or 1- 206-518-9361 (video phone for hard of hearing callers only). You can also contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline online at https://www.thehotline.org/. For additional domestic violence resources, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/victim-witness-assistance.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the ATF, the United States Park Police, the State Fire Chief’s Office, the Baltimore Police Department and the Baltimore Fire Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked US assistant attorneys Leah Grossi, Bijon Mostoufi and Elizabeth Wright who have prosecuted the federal cases.
For more information about the Maryland U.S., visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach. Attorney’s Office, the priorities and resources available to help the community.
