Prisoner who sparked manhunt looks to withdraw guilty plea

WASHINGTON — Newly filed court documents show the prisoner who escaped from a Fairfax County hospital in March and led police on a huge manhunt is seeking to withdraw his guilty plea.

Woosen Assaye was scheduled to be sentenced on Friday to at least 32 years in prison.

His lawyers say he told them this week that he’d seek to withdraw the guilty plea he entered in July.

The motion asks the court to delay sentencing in the case.

The lawyers say Assaye “cites potential ineffective assistance of counsel, and involuntarily entered guilty plea, and an unknowing plea as potential grounds for a withdrawal motion.”

Prosecutors say they do not oppose a delay in sentencing, but add in a response that the defendant is required to demonstrate a “fair and just reason” for withdrawing a plea that has been accepted by the court.

The plea hearing in July was drawn out and included a long delay as lawyers reworked the deal after Assaye said part of the initial plea agreement did not reflect the truth.

Eventually, he did plead to two of the 16 counts in the indictment.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up