WASHINGTON – Three area men have been found guilty by a jury of federal offenses stemming from a string of 10 armed robberies of gas stations, liquor stores, convenience stores, and restaurants in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, all within a four-week period in 2018.

            The verdict, returned yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, Marcus G. Jones, Chief of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Department, and Antonio DeVaul, Chief of the Takoma Park, Maryland Police Department.

            Those convicted of federal conspiracy, robbery, and weapons charges include: Quaysa Flumo, 34, of Washington, D.C., Enyianna Onyewu, 29, of Silver Spring, Maryland, and Emmanuel Sumo, 27, of Takoma Park, Maryland. All remain held pending sentencing by the Honorable Amit P. Mehta.  Onyewu is to be sentenced on July 22, 2022, Flumo on Aug. 12, 2022, and Sumo on Aug. 26, 2022. 

            According to the government’s evidence, throughout January 2018, the defendants, working together, robbed a series of gas stations, liquor stores, convenience stores, and restaurants in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.  In each of the robberies, the defendants were armed with a .45 caliber handgun.  They wore masks and gloves to avoid being identified.  In several robberies, they physically assaulted store employees and put the gun directly to the heads of their victims.  The robberies took place at various hours, including some in broad daylight. The victims remain shaken and shocked by the incidents.  Fortunately, none of them sustained serious physical injuries.

            During the trial, the government presented testimony from nearly 30 witnesses. The first robbery took place on Jan. 2, 2018, at a gas station in Silver Spring. Other targets were in Takoma Park, Maryland, Silver Spring, Maryland, Northwest Washington, and Arlington, Virginia. On Jan. 10, 2018, two robberies took place within a 45-minute period. The final robbery in the series took place on Jan. 29, 2018, at another gas station in Silver Spring.

            Onyewu was arrested on Oct. 22, 2020. Sumo was arrested on Nov. 23, 2020, and Flumo was arrested on April 27, 2021.

            In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, Chief Jones, and Chief DeVaul commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Task Force, the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department, the Takoma Park, Maryland Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department, and the Arlington County, Virginia Police Department. 

            They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Lenerz, Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle, Mary Downing, and Kim Hall, Legal Assistant Latoya Wade, Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Litigation Technology Specialist William Henderson.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Candice Wong, who investigated and prosecuted the case.