A Silver Spring man was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Thursday for a 2022 crash near the White House that killed one pedestrian and critically injured another.
Spiro Stafilatos, 39, was sentenced on June 25, 2026, after a jury convicted him of second-degree murder, aggravated assault while armed, and escape. The punishment is 20 years for the murder conviction and 15 years for the assault conviction, to be served consecutively.
The case began on December 30, 2022, when Stafilatos was driving a dark Buick LeSabre in Northwest Washington, D.C. U.S. Secret Service police officers first noticed the vehicle in the 700 block of 14th Street NW with a missing front tag and a Maryland rear tag that did not have a registration sticker.
Officers approached the vehicle after it stopped in the 700 block of 15th Street NW and a passenger exited. During the traffic stop, cops observed what seemed to be an open beer container near the driver and directed Stafilatos to park the vehicle because it was still in drive.
Instead, Stafilatos escaped north on 15th Street NW, turning into New York Avenue NW. As the Buick approached an intersection against a red light, it was hit by another car moving on a green light, forcing the Buick to spin and strike two pedestrians in a crosswalk.
Both people were flung into the road and taken to hospitals. Shuyu Sui died at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, despite life-saving efforts. Jiahui Wang was transported to George Washington University Hospital with injuries to his body and head.
Several hours after the crash, tests revealed that Stafilatos had recently used cocaine. He has been in custody since his arrest.
Prosecutors requested an upward departure from sentencing guidelines, and the court agreed on the assault conviction, noting numerous aggravating factors related to Wang’s injuries.
The United States Secret Service police and the Metropolitan Police Department investigated the matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Jamie Carter and Will Lawrence prosecuted the case.
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