Jonathan Brown, 31, of Northeast, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and voluntary manslaughter while armed.
WASHINGTON — A D.C. man pleaded guilty Monday to sparking a gun battle that claimed the life of a District educator and father in July 2021.
Jonathan Brown, aka “Tsunami,” 31, of Northeast, was indicted in early 2023 on 10 drug and firearms charges, including second-degree murder while armed. He pleaded guilty Monday to two felony counts of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and voluntary manslaughter while armed. The latter charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years.
Brown was arrested a little less than two years after 31-year-old Kervin Sanches was shot and killed near the intersection of 7th and O Streets NW on July 21, 2021. Sanches, a father of four, was the dean of students at Imagine Hope Community Charter School in Northeast.
According to court documents, Brown was standing at the intersection with other individuals affiliated with the “7th and O Crew,” also known as the “Kennedy Dog Pound.” In a separate case filed in May 2022, federal prosecutors charged 13 alleged members of the crew with running a cocaine and fentanyl trafficking operation out of their territory near the 7th and O intersection in Shaw.
Sanches was visiting friends in the area when Brown drew a handgun from his waistband and began firing at an unknown individual who approached him and other alleged members of the group. The other man then began firing back and onlookers ran while Brown and the man continued firing – shooting at least 25 rounds between them. Sanches was struck by a bullet while fleeing the scene and died of his injuries while en route to the hospital.
As part of his plea agreement, Brown acknowledged that without his decision to begin firing, the “urban gunbattle would not have unfolded and Sanches’ death would not have occurred.”
Brown was scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 8 before U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton. He will receive credit for approximately 15 months spent in pretrial detention since his arrest.
Do you have a news tip on this story or any other story? We want to hear from you. Tell us about it by emailing [email protected].
DOWNLOAD THE WUSA9 APP
Apple App Store: WUSA9 News on Apple
Google Play Store: WUSA9 News on Android
HOW TO ADD THE FREE WUSA9+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for WUSA9.
For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for “WUSA9” to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
SIGN UP TO RECEIVE WUSA9 NEWSLETTER
Subscribe to our daily WUSA9 Newsletter for top stories from WUSA9 curated daily just for you. Get content and information right now for can’t-miss stories, Commanders content, weather, and more delivered right to your inbox.
