Conspirator Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Robbing Casino Patrons

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Jose Hector Laguerre, age 47, of Baltimore, today to eight years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to commit robbery in connection with several robberies of patrons of the Maryland Live Casino. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Kevin Perkins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Mark A. Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare.

According to his plea agreement, on three occasions from November 1 to November 10, 2013, Laguerre and co-conspirator Willie Fleming used a firearm to rob a total of eight patrons of the Maryland Live Casino located in Hanover, Maryland.  Fleming instigated the robberies in order to pay his gambling and marijuana trafficking debts.   Fleming obtained and maintained possession of the handgun used in the robberies, and committed an additional robbery with another co-conspirator of three casino patrons on October 27, 2013.

Video surveillance from the casino showed Laguerre and Fleming following patrons inside the casino, and then by car as they drove out of the casino garage.  The co-conspirators robbed the victims at gunpoint after the victims got out of their cars to enter their homes, or in one instance, as they rested in their car while parked in a shopping center lot on their way home.  The robbers stole a total of at least $26,000 in cash, a check and personal property such as jewelry, credit cards, cell phones, wallets, purses and clothing. 

On November 14, 2013, Fleming was arrested for drug and gun offenses in Baltimore while he was in the vehicle used to commit the robberies.  A search warrant was executed on the car and law enforcement seized ski masks, a vest worn by Laguerre in a casino video, jewelry stolen from the victims and a receipt for valet parking at the casino dated the same day as one of the robberies.

Willie Hernandez Fleming, age 37, of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the robberies and was sentenced to 137 months in prison.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Maryland State Police, and the Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and Anne Arundel County Police Departments for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney John F. Purcell, Jr., who prosecuted the case.