Press Releases 2025

February 10, 2025

Today, in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, before the Honorable Margaret Schweitzer, the defendant Ervin Alfaro-Lopez, 34, of Germantown, pleaded guilty to one count of sex abuse of a minor and three counts of third-degree sex offense.

Alfaro-Lopez faces up to 55 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 28, 2025.

In May of 2023, a victim reported being sexually assaulted by Alfaro-Lopez when he was her teacher at a church located in the 15700 block of Crabbs Branch Way in Derwood. Following the initial complaint, three additional victims came forward. Each of the offenses occurred between 2016 and 2018. The victims were between the ages of six and 12 years old at the time the offenses occurred.

Alfaro Lopez was arrested on March 11, 2024, following an investigation by the Montgomery County Police Special Victims Investigations Division.

Assistant State’s Attorneys John Grochowski and Lauren Fetsch are prosecuting this case on behalf of the State.

February 7, 2025

In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, before the Honorable Jill Cummins, defendant Marlon Melendez, 30, of Washington D.C. was convicted by a jury on charges of first-degree child abuse resulting in death, second-degree murder, first-degree child abuse, and second-degree child abuse for the abuse and death of his girlfriend’s son, a 16-month-old toddler. The jury returned its verdict yesterday, Thursday, February 6, 2025.

The defendant faces the potential of a life in prison plus 65 years. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 13, 2025.

On Saturday, March 11, 2023, the victim’s mother called 911 because the child was not breathing. He was pronounced dead at the hospital and an autopsy revealed signs of child abuse. An investigation by detectives with Montgomery County Police revealed the defendant had been abusing the child. The victim had previously sustained serious bodily injuries including a fractured femur. Surveillance video recorded on March 9, 2023, from a restaurant located in the 8000 block of Piney Branch Road in Silver Spring showed the defendant pulling the victim’s hair and repeatedly scratching and digging into the victim’s temple. The defendant squeezed a lemon in the child’s face and put lemon juice on his finger, then rubbed his finger into the child’s eye. This activity occurred when the child’s mother had briefly left their dining table. The victim appeared to cry and be in distress every time Melendez touched him.

Assistant State’s Attorneys Daniela Chavez and Adrienne Ferrell are prosecuting this matter. 

“This is an outrageously sad case involving the loss of a one-year-old baby. We express our deepest condolences to the victim’s family. We are thankful to Montgomery County Police for their thorough investigation and to our prosecution team for their pursuit of justice on behalf of this innocent child,” said State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

February 6, 2025

Today in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Theresa Chernosky sentenced defendant Markus Carter, 22, of Silver Spring, to 32 years in prison, suspending all but 12 years to serve and five years of supervised probation upon release. The defendant pleaded guilty to numerous charges related to over 2,000 fentanyl pills and a firearm, and violating probation.

The defendant entered a guilty plea on May 8, 2024, to charges of possession of a large amount of fentanyl, illegal possession of a regulated firearm, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He is also pending trial in an additional case involving the distribution of synthetic cannabinoids.

Assistant State’s Attorney Kimberly Cissel and Jennifer Harrison with our Overdose Prosecution Unit are handling this matter.

January 31, 2025

Today, in two separate hearings in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Terrence McGann sentenced defendants Elmer Lopez-Cortez, 26, of Silver Spring, and Junior Del-Cid, 21, of Takoma Park, to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He also sentenced each defendant to three additional consecutive life sentences plus 105 years in prison.

Lopez-Cortez, Del-Cid and a third co-defendant were convicted by a jury on August 30, 2024, on charges of First-Degree Murder, three counts of Attempted First-Degree Murder, Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder, four counts of Use of a Firearm during a Crime of Violence, and Participation in a Criminal Organization Resulting in Death, for the shooting death of 19-year-old Willians Anderson Alberto Cruz and for shooting at three additional victims, two of whom were hit and survived their injuries. It was the first time a defendant was convicted of Participation in a Criminal Organization, Resulting in Death in Montgomery County, MD.

Co-defendant Elvin Guzman-Machato, 20, was convicted along with Lopez-Cortez and Del-Cid. He is scheduled for sentencing on February 21, 2025. The fourth co-defendant of Silver Spring, Jonathan Leon-Chacon, 26, is still pending trial.

This stems from an incident on November 9, 2022. The victims and defendants were previously unknown to each other. Montgomery County Police have validated the four defendants as members of the La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang. As stated during the trial, the State submitted that the motive for the shooting was retribution for defaced gang graffiti in the forested area next to the parking lot where the shooting occurred. Del-Cid and Lopez-Cortez opened fire on the victims after the defendants became convinced the group was responsible for defacing the graffiti. Guzman-Machado and Leon-Chacon waited in the get-away vehicle. The victims were standing around a car, listening to music, when they were suddenly fired upon. They attempted to run for their lives. The victim, Alberto Cruz, died at the scene. The two other victims, who were hit multiple times, were treated at the hospital for their injuries. The fourth victim was the only one to escape without a gunshot wound.

The State’s Attorney’s Office would like to thank the Montgomery County Police Gang Division and FBI Baltimore’s Cross Border Task Force for their partnership.

Assistant State’s Attorneys Teresa Casafranca and Kimberly Cissel are prosecuting these cases.

January 31, 2025

In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Jill Cummins sentenced defendant Keith Delcid-Palacios to 88 years in prison, suspending all but 45 to serve and five years of supervised probation upon release. The sentencing hearing was held on Friday, January 31, 2025.

In September, a jury found Delcid-Palacios guilty on charges of second-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, and two counts of use of a handgun in the commission of a felony for the shooting death of 21-year-old Martin Nolan and the attempted shooting of an additional victim.

The defendant’s brother, Jeffery Delcid-Palacios, has pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice. The Honorable Harry Storm sentenced him to three years in prison, suspended all but 36 days to serve, and one year of supervised probation upon release.

January 24, 2025

Today in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, before the Honorable Marybeth Ayres, defendant Sari Kurland Esq., 63, of Rockville, was taken into custody by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. The defendant was in court for a hearing where she had been indicted on three counts of theft scheme over $100,000 and several related charges. Yesterday, January 23, 2025, a warrant was issued for her arrest after the State filed a superseding indictment and the Grand Jury indicted Kurland on three additional counts of theft over $100,000.

Kurland has been ordered held without bond. Her next hearing in Circuit Court is scheduled for February 4, 2025.

Assistant State’s Attorneys John Lalos and Robert Hill are prosecuting this matter.

January 23, 2025

In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Sharon Burrell sentenced defendant Zhenyong Weng, 19, of New York, to ten years in prison suspending all but 18 months to serve.

Weng pleaded guilty on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, to attempted theft and conspiracy to commit theft for targeting an 82-year-old victim in an attempted Gold Bar Scam. The victim previously lost over $900,000 worth of gold bars to scammers. On July 15, 2024, officers with the Montgomery County Police Financial Crimes Section arrested Weng as he attempted to pick up an additional $75,000 worth of gold from the victim.

Assistant State’s Attorneys Hannah Gleason and Robert Hill prosecuted this case.

Statement from State’s Attorney John McCarthy:

“This is an example of how woefully inadequate the Maryland State Sentencing Guidelines are regarding the Gold Bar Scam. In this case, the guidelines were probation to six months of jail time. The State asked for the maximum penalty, which would have been twenty years in prison. This international organized criminal activity targets seniors with a very slim chance of ever recovering their money. We are seeing victims lose their life savings. The State finds the facts of these cases and the tactics used by the scammers very troubling. We urge the community to be vigilant.”

Important Reminders:

Do not click on pop-up ads or threats on your computer.

Remember that no law enforcement agent, whether Federal, State, or Local, will contact you and tell you to convert assets for safekeeping.

Before committing to anything suspicious, contact your local law enforcement agency to verify all information.

January 22, 2025
In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, before the Honorable Sharon Burrell, defendant Jean-Pierre Velasco, 21, of Silver Spring, pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter by motor vehicle for the crash that led to the deaths of 19-year-old Kailey Briana Vigil and 19-year-old Leslie Kristin Ventura.

Per the plea agreement, Velasco faces a maximum of eight years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 7, 2025.

The crash occurred in the early morning hours on Saturday, March 4, 2023. Velasco was driving a vehicle with four passengers heading to a friend's home. The group was traveling from Sterling, Virginia, to Wheaton, Maryland, in an Infinity G-37 when the single-vehicle collision occurred at Montrose Road and Hitching Post Lane in Rockville. The defendant lost control on the wet roadway following rain, struck the curb of the center median, continued back into the roadway, struck the right curb, continued across the grass and sidewalk, striking several fixed objects, and then struck a metal light support pole, which is where the vehicle came to rest.

Leslie Ventura was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Kailey Vigil died in the hospital on March 6, 2023, as a result of injuries sustained in the crash. The defendant consented to a blood sample, which contained a blood alcohol content level of .10. An investigation conducted by the Montgomery County Police Collison Reconstruction Unit determined the vehicle was traveling at a speed between 57 and 73 miles per hour at the time of the crash. The speed limit on that stretch of roadway is 40 miles per hour.

Assistant State’s Attorney Joshua Wesnidge is prosecuting this matter.

January 03, 2025
In the District Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Eric Nee found defendant Steven Randolph, 34, of Rockville, guilty in three indecent exposure trials. The three bench trials were held yesterday, January 2, 2025. Judge Nee then sentenced Randolph to four and a half years in prison.

Here’s the breakdown…

In case D-06-CR-24-007899, The defendant was convicted on one count of indecent exposure. Judge Nee sentenced Randolph to 18 months of executed incarceration. The victim was an employee of Ledo's Pizza in Olney and testified against the defendant.

In case D-06-CR-24-006832, The defendant was convicted on two counts of indecent exposure, one count of theft less than $100, one count of failure to obey a reasonable and lawful order, and one count of disorderly conduct. Judge Nee sentenced Randolph to two 18-month sentences, consecutive to each other and the previous case. The victims and witnesses included an employee of Olney Safeway, two EMTs, and three police officers. 

In case D-06-CR-24-008207, The defendant was convicted on two counts of indecent exposure, although these were merged for sentencing. The victim was a police officer on hospital detail at Shady Grove.

Assistant State’s Attorney Danielle Rosenthal handled the prosecution of these matters.