Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Lamont Bonds, age 26, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, today to 125 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for armed robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in connection with four restaurant robberies.  Judge Bennett also ordered Bonds to pay restitution of $24,900.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge William P. McMullan of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Colonel Marcus L. Brown, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Washington County Sheriff Douglas W. Mullendore; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; Carroll County State’s Attorney Jerry Barnes; Washington County State’s Attorney Charles P. Strong; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

According to Bond’s plea agreement, co-defendant Marvel Alegria was the manager of the Chipotle in Mt. Airy, Maryland until July 17, 2012 when she was fired for violating company policies. Alegria began discussing robbing the Chipotle restaurant with Bonds, which whom she was having a relationship.  Alegria advised Bonds of the best time to commit the robbery, and how to access the store and its safe which contained money.

On July 22, 2012, Bonds and Alegria recruited co-defendant Norman Guifarro to participate in the robbery. That evening, Bonds and Guifarro entered the restaurant wearing masks Bonds had made from tee shirts.  Bonds, armed with a shotgun, forced the manager into the office at gunpoint and obtained the money from the safe, while Guifarro, armed with a knife, held the other employees on the floor.  Bonds and Guifarro stole $5,000 in cash and fled after forcing the employees into a bathroom.  Bonds and Guifarro divided the stolen money among themselves and Alegria.

On August 4, October 21 and November 25, 2012, Bonds robbed Chipotle restaurants in Hagerstown, Gaithersburg and Damascus, Maryland, respectively, armed with what appeared to be a semi-automatic pistol, using similar methods as in the first robbery.  In the August 4th robbery, Bonds and another man stole $9,400 from the safe.  Alegria drove Bonds to and from the Gaithersburg and Damascus robberies where Bonds stole $7,000 and $3,500, respectively.  In each robbery, Bonds forced the manager to open the safe at gunpoint.

Marvel Alegria, age 24, of Gaithersburg, previously pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy, was sentenced to 57 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $24,900.  Norman Guifarro, age 24, of Montgomery County, was convicted in Carroll County Circuit Court of the Mt. Airy robbery and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF, Maryland State Police, Montgomery County Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Montgomery, Washington and Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Offices for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney A. David Copperthite, who is prosecuting the case.
 

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