Maryland DUI Lawyers Blog

A second suspect in the murder of Washington DC middle school principal Brian Betts is set to plead guilty in Montgomery County on November 18th. Nineteen-year-old Alante Saunders pled guilty earlier this month to murder, admitting to pulling the trigger and firing the shots that killed Betts in his Silver Spring home in April of this year.

Co-defendant nineteen-year-old Sharif Lancaster is expected to plead guilty to charges of robbery and use of a handgun in the commission of a felony in Rockville Circuit Court on Thursday. Lancaster, the second of four young men charged in relation to the murder of Betts, was originally charged with first-degree murder among other charges in the case. Deontra Gray and Joel Johnson, both 19 years old, have also been charged for Betts' murder. According to Lancaster's Maryland criminal attorney, all four men initially denied responsibility for the shooting death of Betts and implicated their co-defendants in the crime.

The teens met Betts over a phone sex chat line, entering his home through a door Betts deliberately left unlocked after the chat. Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy conceded that the teens likely killed Betts accidentally during the commission of a robbery:

"We do not believe that this was a case where the homicide of Mr. Betts was pre-planned prior to arriving at the home."

According to police, Lancaster's fingerprints were found inside Betts's home. Prosecutors say that Saunders entered the home, heading upstairs to Betts' bedroom where the victim was shot from a distance. At some point after Saunders went in, Lancaster, Gray and Johnson followed suit. A sentencing date for Lancaster has not yet been determined, but under sentencing guidelines in the plea, he faces between twenty and thirty-five years in prison for the charges to which he is expected to plead guilty.

This article is presented by Price Benowitz LLp, serving Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC. For more information, please visit our Virginia Criminal Lawyer and Washington DC Criminal Lawyer websites.

An experienced Maryland criminal lawyer will likely represent a number of individuals who have been accused of a variety of criminal charges. Generally, defendants face a number of violations all associated with one particular incident. The circumstances are similar regarding a 2008 armed robbery of an armored vehicle just outside of Baltimore--the suspects were convicted and sentenced on multiple charges.

On March 29th, U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett sentenced three suspects held in custody after being accused of Maryland armed robbery charges involving an armored car at the Lexington Market. On May 9th, 2008, Baltimore resident Walter Morsley, 50, along with two others, robbed an armored vehicle that was picking up and dropping off cash to the Lexington Market. While inside the supermarket, Morsley acted as a lookout by carrying a shotgun in a bag, while the employees of the armored car were robbed of $105,000. Immediately following the incident, the three men fled the scene, meeting up and dividing the money at an abandoned house nearby.

The other two conspirators in this case, Donald Cromwell, 54, and Charles Witherspoon, 50, both of Baltimore, pled guilty in December 2009 for their involvement in the incident. Witherspoon was sentenced to fifteen years behind bars after being convicted of Maryland armed robbery charges and Maryland gun charges. Cromwell was convicted of the same crimes, but will not be sentenced until April 2010. Morsley was sentenced to thirty-three years behind bars for armed robbery, possession of a gun by a felon, and brandishing a gun.

Being charged with a crime is a difficult process for anyone to go through, regardless of how many violations that person is facing. As seen by the example of Walter Morsley, Charles Witherspoon, and Donald Cromwell, conviction of armed robbery charges or gun charges can have life-changing consequences including significant jail time. To prevent this from happening to you and ensure the most successful outcome, it is important to contact a hard-working and experienced Maryland armed robbery lawyer immediately. Doing so can provide the best legal advice and legal representation for your case.

The legal career of a hard-working Maryland criminal lawyer is based around representing individuals who have been accused of a number of criminal charges, including armed robbery or gang violence. In a metropolitan area, young adults and teens are more likely to be tempted to join a gang, even if it is characterized by committing criminal charges. In a similar case, a Maryland court recently sentenced a young adult to twenty years behind bars for his involvement in the armed robbery of a local grocery store and deli.

Over six months ago, a getaway driver and three individuals held up a local store, Kerrigan's Corner Deli and Liquors, with guns and a hammer. Although shots were fired during the robbery, neither of the store attendants were hit with bullets. One of the robbers, a sixteen year-old, was arrested first for Maryland armed robbery charges, and was sentenced two weeks ago to fifteen years in prison by a Fredrick County Circuit Court.

However, the court was far less forgiving this past Tuesday, as second robber pled guilty to Maryland armed robbery charges. Germantown resident, Steven Austin, 20, pled guilty to involvement in the Kerrigan's robbery, as well as another holdup of a restaurant nearby, in order to avoid trial. In addition, Austin also pled guilty to participation in the Latin Kings, a local criminal gang--the first gang-related conviction in Frederick County. Judge G. Edward Dwyer Jr. sentenced Austin to serve twenty years of a forty year sentence in the Maryland Division of Correction. He further mentioned that the defendants were fortunate that no one was killed in the armed robbery--otherwise, the young men could potentially face life in prison without parole, or even the death penalty.

Facing criminal charges of armed robbery is a difficult and scary process regardless of how old the individual is. Seeking legal counsel can help provide answers to the many questions an accused individual undoubtedly has regarding their case. Conviction of criminal charges will have life-changing consequences, including the loss of driving privileges, fines, and/or jail time. To prevent your personal liberties and freedoms from being taken away, it is vital to contact an experienced and aggressive Maryland armed robbery lawyer immediately. Doing so can provide the legal advice and legal representation needed for a successful outcome for your case.

Practicing in a metropolitan area, an experienced Maryland criminal lawyer is likely to see numerous examples of professional athletes accused of a variety of criminal charges. Cases handled and dropped are similar to that of Orlando "Zeus" Brown, the former Baltimore Ravens star who was facing criminal charges of burglary and destruction of property. He has been accused of breaking into the home of his former wife, Mira Brown while she was away on vacation. The two were divorced in 2004, but according to court documents, the two remain in a heated battle over custody and child support payments. While Mira Brown was on vacation, someone broke the front door and entered her home. Once inside the house, the intruder tore the basement curtains, defecated in a toilet, and stormed through her closet. Additionally, she received two messages from her former husband, one of which stated that he had entered the house while she was away.

By September, he was arrested and charged with breaking and entering. Formally, he was charged with fourth-degree burglary and malicious destruction of property under $500. However, these charges were dropped when Brown was able to prove through global tracking systems from his cell phone that he was not in the area when the break-in occurred. Additionally, it became clear that the accusations were fueled more by the custody battle, than an actual belief that Brown had committed the crime. Court documents show that Mira Brown also filed three complaints of domestic violence against her former husband during the end of last September. All of these files are currently listed as closed.

Regardless of celebrity status, facing criminal charges is a difficult process for anyone to go through. Conviction of burglary charges can have life-changing consequences including the loss of driving privileges, fines, and/or jail time. For the best legal advice and legal representation, seek the assistance of an aggressive and knowledgeable Maryland criminal attorney immediately.