Two teenagers involved in the assault of former DOGE employee Edward “Big Balls” Coristine, which led to graphic police images highlighting President Donald Trump’s crime crackdown in Washington, D.C., have evaded jail time and received probation instead.
A 15-year-old boy and a girl from Hyattsville, Maryland, were sentenced on Tuesday for their roles in a violent attack on a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employee on a D.C. street on August 3.
A juvenile court judge placed the boy on 12 months of probation, allowing him to return home under strict house arrest. The girl received nine months of probation and was sent to a local youth detention facility.
Both teenagers pleaded guilty to simple assault, thereby sidestepping potentially more severe consequences. Generally, in federal juvenile cases, unless they are tried as adults, minors convicted of serious offenses might face confinement until age 21.
In line with typical juvenile court practices, WUSA9 chose not to disclose the minors’ names.
“I hope we can understand things and be prepared for the consequences,” Coristine expressed via video link before the sentencing. He also expressed gratitude to the courts and the Metropolitan Police for their efforts in seeking justice.
Coristine, 19, was attacked while trying to aid a woman during a carjacking incident around 3 a.m. in Washington, D.C. Around ten people were reported to be involved in the attack.
Others involved in the assault remain unaccounted for.
The incident resulted in a concussion and a broken nose for Coristine. Shortly after, President Trump ignited controversy when he posted a police image showing Coristine shirtless and injured, threatening to take federal control of D.C. if crime rates continued to worsen.
Just days later, on August 11, Trump declared a crime emergency and issued an executive order to place local police under federal oversight.
According to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, nearly 4,000 arrests and over 360 illegal firearms were confiscated during the D.C. crackdown.
Coristine recounted his experience during a recent appearance on a FOX News program, discussing the attack’s details.
When we arrived at the car, she was looking for her keys, and they started shouting at us. I quickly realized something was off. So, I helped her into the driver’s seat, closed the door, and she locked it. Then I turned around, and they were right there, just a few feet away.
They shoved me into the car and began hitting me. I raised my hands to protect my head as best as I could since I was taking a lot of hits.
Coristine earned the nickname “Big Balls” during high school and embraced it, even using it for his LinkedIn profile. He crossed paths with Elon Musk as his intern at Neuralink before working at DOGE, which aimed to improve government efficiency.
After leaving DOGE in June, Coristine has since taken a position with the Social Security Administration, reportedly focusing on enhancing the agency’s online presence and overall efficiency.
