Judge Sentences Man To More Than 19 Years in Prison for Setting Fire to Ex-Girlfriend’s Apartment in February 2024

WASHINGTON - Quenton Jones, 64, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today for threats he made to his ex-girlfriend and the February 2024 arson at her apartment, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Superior Court Judge Erik Christian sentenced Jones to 234 months (19.5 years) in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.

Jones was found guilty on May 24, 2024, by a Superior Court jury of one count of arson, two counts of first-degree burglary, one count of felony threats, one count of felony destruction of property, and multiple counts of felony contempt.

According to the government's evidence, on December 28, 2023, Jones threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend, the victim, after he accused her of cheating on him. On February 2, 2024, he violated a Stay Away No Contact Order by calling her multiple times and leaving demeaning voicemails on her phone. Then, on February 3, 2024, at approximately 3:00 am, Jones went to the victim's apartment and wrote on her front door, with a black marker, her personal information and a list of sex acts he said she would do in exchange for money. He returned three hours later and set a piece of paper on fire, shoving it under her front door, causing her front door to catch fire. This fire forced all the residents of the apartment building to evacuate the building. After Jones was arrested, he continued to contact the victim from jail and wrote a handwritten letter to her right before trial.

In making its recommendation, the government argued that Jones showed "little remorse for his actions, which posed a significant risk to the victim's life." The government pointed out not only to the psychological damage Jones inflicted onto the victim but also the "security risk he poses for the entire community."

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, including Reshawn Johnson, Tiffany Jones, Johnny DaSilva, Sigourney Jackson, Shanika McCullough, and Nelson Rhone. U.S. Attorney Graves also commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Smith and Monisha Rao from the Domestic Violence Unit of the U.S. Attorney's Office, who prosecuted the case.