D.C. Woman Sentenced in Kidnapping and Violent Armed Robbery of Two Women Lured for a Fake ‘Babysitting’ Job
WASHINGTON / Tuesday, October 6, 2026 – Cierra Charity Lee, 21, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 102 months in federal prison for her role in the brutal kidnapping and armed robbery of two women she lured to a Southeast residence under the promise of a babysitting job, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“This was a calculated ambush engineered to silence a rape victim and bury the truth,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “These defendants used deception, weapons, and terror in an attempt to obstruct justice. Today’s sentence is a reminder that intimidation will never triumph over accountability, and that those who target victims to protect predators will face the full force of the law.”
Lee pleaded guilty on April 30, 2026, to kidnapping and armed robbery. Her co‑defendants, Robynn Danielle Bynum, 19, and Kayvon Edwards, 22, previously pleaded guilty to the same charges. In addition to the 102-month prison term, Judge Christopher R. Cooper also ordered Leed to serve five years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 168-month prison sentence for Lee.
According to court documents, on the night of Oct. 20, 2025, two female victims arrived at a residence near Suitland Parkway and Stanton Road SE after Lee offered to hire them for a babysitting job. When the victims entered the home’s basement, co‑defendant Robynn Bynum emerged from a back room and stabbed Victim 1 repeatedly in the back while injuring Victim 2, who attempted to intervene. Lee helped restrain both victims, binding their hands with duct tape and taking their phones, car keys, and other property.
While the victims bled and remained bound in a bathroom, Lee questioned Victim 1 about a pending rape case against Lee’s boyfriend, co‑defendant Kayvon Edwards, who was then incarcerated in Prince George’s County.
Through a series of monitored jail calls, investigators determined that Edwards orchestrated the kidnapping and attack in an effort to prevent Victim 1 from testifying. On those calls, Edwards directed Lee to restrain Victim 1, ensure she could not flee, and silence her as a witness. Lee assured Edwards that Victim 1 would drop the charges and not appear in court.
Lee and Bynum forced the victims into Victim 1’s vehicle, duct-taped their eyes, and attempted to drive them out of the District, telling them they would be abandoned in Pennsylvania to prevent their appearance in court. After striking something and flattening a tire, Lee and Bynum fled the scene, leaving the victims bound and injured in the car. Eventually, the victims freed themselves and sought help.
MPD officers found the victim’s car parked in the 3200 block of M St. and saw blood stains and pieces of duct tape on the back seat. They also noticed that the front passenger tire was flat.
Emergency responders transported both victims to GW Hospital, where Victim 1 was treated for multiple stab wounds requiring trauma‑level care. Victim 2 was treated for lacerations to her wrist and elbow.
On November 5, 2025, police arrested all three defendants. Upon a review of Lee’s phone, law enforcement found that the device’s web history contained the following searches:
• October 7, 2025, at 2:48:31 p.m.: in dc how long can you get for kidnapping
• October 7, 2025, at 2:48:32 p.m.: dc kidnapping cases
• October 21, 2025, at 1:54:21 a.m.: how much can you get for kidnapping in dc
• October 21, 2025, at 7:49:14 a.m.: md case search
• October 21, 2025, at 8:10:26 a.m.: how much time can you get for aggravated assault
• October 21, 2025, at 11:30:26 a.m.: what does concluded held mean in court
• October 22, 2025, at 12:47:10 a.m.: how to see if you got a warrant
Bynum is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 21, 2027. Sentencing for Edwards is pending.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Satter.
Message from defendant Bynum to Victim 1
Lee’s text exchange with Victim 1 offering a “baby sitting” job.
Surveillance photo shows Lee and Bynum leading the victims to a car following the stabbings.
In this photo, the duct tape (circled in red) police found in the abandoned car.
Emergency workers attend to Victim 1 who was bleeding from the four stab wounds in her back.
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Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia
