District Man Convicted of Aggravated Assault, Other Charges
In Shotgun Attack Against Woman
- Violence Occurred in Defendant's Home -

     WASHINGTON – Lloyd Wilkins, 49, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to aggravated assault and other charges stemming from an incident in which he shot a woman in the head after she told him she had given him the AIDS virus, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Wilkins also pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and possession of an unregistered firearm. He is to be sentenced February 3, 2012 by the Honorable Robert I. Richter. The crime of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence carries at least five years in prison.

     The government's evidence at trial would have established that on the evening of April 23, 2011, Wilkins was at his home in Northeast Washington. The victim, whom Wilkins met through her cousin, came to his home, and they began drinking alcohol and eventually had sexual intercourse. Afterward, the victim jokingly told Wilkins that she had given him the AIDS virus.

     Wilkins walked to his bedroom closet and retrieved a 12-gauge, single-shot shotgun. He pointed it in the victim's direction, and the weapon went off, striking her in her head. The defendant called 911 to report that he had shot someone. Despite her injury, the victim was able to call a friend to pick her up from Wilkins's home and drive her to the hospital, where doctors performed extensive surgery. The victim remains deaf in her right ear as a result of the shooting and has had extensive surgeries performed to mend her scalp. The government has obtained the victim's medical records, which demonstrate that she does not have the AIDS virus.

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen expressed his appreciation to the Metropolitan Police Department, and particularly praised the work of Detectives Simon Yammine and Robert Kacelowicz, as well as Mobile Crime Scene Officers Daren Brake and Darenn Bemiller, who thoroughly processed multiple crime scenes in this case. U.S. Attorney Machen also commended the work of U.S. Attorney's Office paralegal Leah Dobler. Finally, he commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Bradford, who indicted and prosecuted the case.

11-514