WASHINGTON — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - District of Columbia), published as received.

            WASHINGTON – Eric Singletary, 36, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to five years in prison for assaulting his former girlfriend with a firearm, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.

            Singletary pled guilty in July 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm. He was sentenced on Oct. 30, 2018, by the Honorable Ronna L Beck. Following his prison term, Singletary will be placed on three years of supervised release and subject to gun-offender registration requirements.

            According to the government’s evidence, Singletary and the victim were involved in a romantic relationship. One day during the fall of 2017, Singletary was significantly intoxicated. He began arguing with the victim and, during the argument, grabbed his semi-automatic pistol and placed the barrel of the weapon in her mouth. He repeatedly told the victim that her body belonged to him and not to anyone else.

            On Dec. 23, 2017, the victim called 911 to report an additional incident involving the defendant. After this second incident, police located and recovered Singletary’s pistol at the victim’s residence in Southeast Washington. Forensic testing revealed the presence of his DNA on the firearm. At the time of the firearm recovery, Singletary was on probation for a 2016 domestic violence assault relating to a separate victim and could not lawfully possess a firearm.

            Singletary was arrested on Jan. 10, 2018 pursuant to an arrest warrant, and has been in custody since.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit. She also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Meshall Thomas, Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Jones, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bianca Forde and J. Matt Williams, who investigated and prosecuted the case.