U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced on Monday that two more teenagers are facing federal charges for their role in the violent summer attack against Department of Government Efficiency staffer Edward Coristine — better known as “Big Balls.”
The latest charges stem from a series of violent incidents in early August that Pirro says could have been prevented if D.C. judges had taken prior crimes seriously.
Repeat Offenders Face Multiple Felonies
Lawrence Cotton-Powell, 19, and Anthony Taylor, 18, are now charged with a long list of felonies including robbery, assault with intent to rob, and attempted carjacking. Both suspects are alleged to have participated in the mugging of a man named Ethan Levine just minutes before attacking Coristine and another victim.
“Lawrence Cotton-Powell is 19 years of age. He is now charged with robbery, first-degree robbery for which he faces 15 years in prison. He also faces a charge of assault with intent to commit robbery, another 15 years, and robbery for Edward Coristine, 15 years, assault with intent to commit robbery, another 15 years, and attempted carjacking, five years,” Pirro stated at Monday’s press conference.
Cotton-Powell, a known repeat offender, had previously been let off with probation despite prosecutors requesting jail time. Pirro criticized the judiciary for allowing him to reoffend so quickly.
Judicial Leniency Under Fire
Pirro made clear that both suspects should have already been behind bars. “The codefendant in this case is an individual by the name of Anthony Taylor. He is charged also with the same crimes,” she said. Both teens were allegedly out on the streets due to what Pirro called a “reckless pattern of judicial leniency.”
Their arrests come after two other teens involved in the attack — a 15-year-old boy and girl — were sentenced to probation, sparking outrage from both Pirro and President Donald Trump.
Trump: “The Judge Should Be Ashamed”
The Coristine attack, caught on video and widely circulated online, helped prompt President Trump’s push to crack down on violent crime in Democrat-run cities.
“Terrible,” Trump said of the probation sentence for the underage attackers. “I think the judge should be ashamed of himself.”
The president has since directed National Guard units to Washington, D.C., Memphis, and other cities facing surges in youth violence and gang activity. He has also attempted to send troops to Seattle and Portland but has been blocked by federal courts.
A Symbol of Lawlessness
Edward Coristine, a federal worker with the Department of Government Efficiency and a prominent Trump appointee, was nicknamed “Big Balls” online after defending a woman from harassment just before he was ambushed and beaten. Photos showed Coristine bloodied but standing tall following the attack, which has since become a rallying point for Trump’s law-and-order agenda.
Pirro’s office has vowed to seek the maximum possible penalties for Cotton-Powell and Taylor. “These attacks are not isolated incidents,” she said. “They are the predictable result of a broken criminal justice system in D.C. that continues to coddle violent offenders.”
Trump echoed the sentiment in a Monday morning Truth Social post: “Enough is enough. We’re going to clean up our capital and make our cities safe again — for EVERY American.”
The post Jeanine Pirro Announces Charges Against Two More D.C. Teens In Brutal ‘Big Balls’ Beating Case appeared first on Real News Now.
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