Ruddad Abdulgader, who attacked a Georgetown medical student back in October, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to “felony assault with bias intent” and “possession of a prohibited weapon,” according to an email press release from the United States Attorney’s Office. The 19-year-old from Alexandria, Virginia will remain incarcerated until his sentencing date, slated for February 6, 2009.

The Washington Blade reports that Abdulgader faces a maximum sentence of five and a half years in prison for the two criminal charges. Adding “bias intent” to a felony assault increases the maximum punishment for assault, three years, by one and a half times, to four and a half year and the weapon carge carries a one year maximum, the press release said.

Abdulgader and Saad Elarch attacked the student the morning of October 3 as he and a friend were walking 34th Street toward the C & O Canal. After the student told them he was gay, Abdulgader and Elarch yelled biased slurs at them and told the man he deserved to be dead. After the student and his friend began to walk away, Abdulgader struck the student across the cheek with a Grey Goose Vodka bottle, sending the student to the hospital.

Abdulgader and Elarch also resisted arrest and yelled racial slurs at their arresting officers.

Elarch appeared in court with Abdulgader on October 9, when they were both held without bond and charged with aggravated assault. The Blade reports that Elarch’s prosecution is still ongoing.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 13th, 2008 at 5:45 pm and is filed under Crime. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.