District Man Sentenced to 36 Years for 2017 Murder Stemming from Criminal Street Gang Activity

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON –Quincy Garvin, 23, Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 36 years in prison for his role in a brazen shooting into a courtyard that took place in September 2017 in the Potomac Gardens area of Southeast Washington. Garvin was found guilty, in July 2022, of conspiracy, first-degree murder while armed, participation in a criminal street gang, and other charges. The sentence was announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            “Violence between crews fuels a number of the homicides we see in the District,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Those thinking of turning petty disputes into deadly shootings need to know that we will hold them accountable for their conduct and face sentences like this one.”

            According to the government’s evidence, between May 2017 and October 2017, the defendant and others were members of a criminal street gang operating in the area of Wellington Park, within Washington, D.C.  Garvin, and others, were involved in a number of “beefs” with individuals from other areas of the city, many of which started as the result of petty feuds among local rival rap groups. 

            At approximately 6 p.m. 0n September 10, 2017, the victim, Carl Hardy, was standing outside in the Potomac Gardens neighborhood as Garvin and three others circled the  neighborhood three times looking for individuals to target. On the fourth trip around the block, the vehicle stopped and the driver paused to allow Garvin and two other men to exit the vehicle armed with multiple weapons, including an assault rifle. Garvin and the two other shooters opened fire on the crowded courtyard, firing over 30 rounds and striking Mr. Hardy.  The group then fled the scene.

            Mr. Hardy, 24, was transported to the hospital where doctors operated multiple times in their efforts to save him.  Ultimately, on Oct. 1, 2017, Mr. Hardy succumbed to his injuries.  Shortly after Mr. Hardy’s death, an arrest warrant was obtained for Garvin charging him with the murder.  A second shooter, Saquan Williams, was also charged and convicted at trial and was sentenced, on September 14, 2023, to 35 years in prison.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Chrisellen Kolb, Chief of the Appellate Division; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Sellinger, Daniel Lenerz, and Sharon Donovan; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris; Lead Paralegal Specialists Sharon Newman and Meridith McGarrity; Former Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Siegerist; Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Witness Security Specialist Ashli Tolbert; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Litigation Technology Specialist Claudia Gutierrez; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Victim/Witness Services Coordinators LaJune Thames and Maenylie Watson; and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin. 

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Jackson and former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Timmer, who investigated and indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Bach and Lindsey Merikas who prosecuted the case.