By Keith L. Alexander
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 23, 2008

Two Brooklyn, N.Y., men were sentenced to more than 20 years in prison yesterday in the 2006 robbery, kidnapping and shooting of a Georgetown jeweler.

Prosecutors said Jose Lucas, 29, handed Lexton Pellew, 25, the gun that was used to shoot Moshe Motai, the owner of Georgetown Fine Jewelry and Art in the 1200 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW. D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert I. Richter sentenced Pellew to 24 years in prison. Lucas was given 23 years.

They were among five men arrested and charged in the Aug. 20, 2006, robbery. The other three pleaded guilty. A Superior Court jury convicted Pellew and Lucas of burglary, armed robbery and kidnapping.

Neither defendant spoke at his sentencing. Four U.S. marshals stood behind Pellew, and one stood behind Lucas. The U.S. Marshals Service assigned more officers to guard Pellew because he was perceived as a threat.

Prosecutors had sought a 30-year sentence for Pellew. An aunt asked for mercy, saying it was her nephew's first criminal offense.

But Richter said, "There's obviously a very dark side to Mr. Pellew that he hasn't shown to his friends or family but has shown to Mr. Motai."

Motai, who was in the courtroom, was shot once in the stomach during the Sunday afternoon robbery, which was captured on the store's surveillance cameras.

In handing down the sentences, Richter said it was "hard to imagine a more brutal, violent and calculated crime." Richter said Pellew had shown not "one ounce of remorse or demonstrated any responsibility" for the robbery and shooting. Motai, who has returned to work, said the sentence "was not enough but fair."