A D.C. pickpocket pleaded guilty in a scheme to target riders of bus and Metro passengers, prosecutors said.
Alexander Barnwell, 55, was arrested after an investigation by the D.C. police and Metro Transit Police into a series of pickpocketing incidents in and around Metro stations and bus stops, including the Farragut North Metro station, Union Station, and the bus loading area in the 1000 block of New York Avenue NW.
Barnwell faces a a maximum of 25 years, according to prosecutors.
As part of his plea agreement, Barnwell admitted to two incidents. In Jan. 14, around noon, he and an accomplice preteneded to accidently bump into a young woman as she boarded a charter bus on New York Avenue. One of the men reached into her bag and stole her wallet, and within an hour the victim’s credit card was used to purchase men’s apparel and other items at a department store in Arlington.
Barnwell also admitted to a similar incident at Farragut North Metro station on Aug. 18, 2009, this time on a 90-year-old man who used a cane. Within 30 minutes, the man’s credit card was used to purchase $1,000 worth of gift cards.
