Rodney Bennett, 20, Sentenced for Armed Robberies and Assault

Friday, July 24, 2026

WASHINGTON – Rodney Bennett, 20, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia for two robberies in 2024 and one assault with a dangerous weapon while confined in a D.C. Correctional Facility in 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

Bennett pleaded guilty on March 23, 2026, to one count of armed robbery, one count of robbery, and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan sentenced Bennett to 9 years in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. 

According to the government’s evidence, on August 28, 2024, at approximately 11:10 p.m., Bennett approached a man who was returning a rental scooter at 5th and Neal Place NE, Washington, D.C. Bennett pointed a firearm at him and demanded his cellphone and wallet. The man handed over both items but later grabbed his phone back and fled to a nearby bar, where he called the police. Bennett fled the scene with the wallet. Bennett was wearing a GPS monitor, and his coordinates placed him at the scene at the time of the robbery. 

Just over an hour later, on August 29, 2024, at approximately 12:24 p.m., Bennett followed two individuals walking to 1924 8th Street NW, Washington, D.C., into an underground parking garage. When Bennett exited his vehicle and approached, both individuals ran. Bennett chased one of them, stopping him at the entrance to the elevator. Bennett pointed a firearm at him and demanded his watch and cash and then fled with the stolen items. His GPS monitor again placed him at the scene during the offense. 

Bennett was arrest on October 9, 2024, by the Metropolitan Police Department and has remained in custody since that time. 

While incarcerated, on November 10, 2025, at approximately 9:50 p.m., inside the Northwest Three Housing Unit of the Department of Corrections’ Central Detention Facility, Bennett became involved in a verbal altercation with another inmate. During the dispute, Bennett produced a sharp metal object and stabbed the inmate, causing lacerations to the face and head. 

Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.  

This matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hanley. 

2024 CF3 010193, 2025 CF3 015306