LA PLATA, Md. — Charles County Circuit Court Judge William R. Greer Jr. sentenced Martino Marcus Young, 21, of Washington, D.C., to 18 years in prison on October 31, 2025, for his role in an armed assault and vehicle theft at St. Charles High School the previous year. The ruling followed Young’s conviction on charges including armed carjacking, armed robbery, two counts of first-degree assault and four counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence. Upon release, Young faces five years of supervised probation, with an additional 30 years possible for any violations.
The incident unfolded on March 6, 2024, in the parking lot of St. Charles High School in Waldorf, prompting a swift response from Charles County Sheriff’s Office deputies around 11:10 a.m. Two students, identified in court records as Victim 1 and Victim 2, reported being ambushed by four suspects as they walked toward their vehicles after school. Victim 1, struck multiple times in the face with a handgun during the attack, fell to the ground and lost his car key, which one suspect used to drive off in the vehicle. Both victims suffered injuries that required medical attention but were not considered life-threatening at the time. School resource officers secured the scene and coordinated with arriving deputies to gather initial statements.
Investigators traced the attack to a verbal dispute the day prior at the school between a friend of Victim 1 and a juvenile co-defendant linked to Young. That evening, Victim 1 had driven his friend to the co-defendant’s apartment complex in Waldorf, but no physical confrontation occurred. The following day, the suspects positioned themselves near Victim 1’s car and initiated the assault. A third friend escaped unharmed before the violence escalated. One assailant displayed the firearm and issued threats to Victim 1, while the group fled after the theft. Surveillance footage from school cameras captured key moments of the encounter, aiding in suspect identification.
Young emerged as a primary figure during the probe, which involved reviewing video evidence and witness accounts. Deputies arrested him alongside another adult suspect in July 2024, while juvenile co-defendants faced separate proceedings in the state’s youth justice system. A Charles County jury convicted Young on August 28, 2025, after a trial that highlighted the premeditated nature of the ambush. He faced a potential maximum of 155 years incarceration, reflecting the stacked charges under Maryland law.
At sentencing, Assistant State’s Attorney Kate Edmands urged the judge to impose more than 30 years, describing Young as “the mastermind behind all of this.” She emphasized the gravity of the offenses, stating, “This case is serious and excessive as they came to a school in Charles County, brought guns to the school, and pistol-whipped victims.” Edmands noted that one victim sustained permanent facial disfigurement from the blows. The prosecution’s push aligned with Maryland’s stringent penalties for armed carjacking, defined under Criminal Law Article § 3-405 as a felony carrying up to 30 years imprisonment when a dangerous weapon is involved. This statute treats the crime as an aggravated form of robbery, factoring in the use of force or threats to seize a vehicle from its operator or occupant. Additional enhancements apply for firearm use, as seen in Young’s four related counts, each adding mandatory minimum terms that courts must consider during sentencing.
Greer, weighing the evidence and arguments, settled on the 18-year term, balancing the defendants’ ages — Young was 20 at the time of the crime — against the public safety risks posed by weapons on school grounds. Maryland courts follow guidelines from the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy, which recommend ranges based on offense severity and prior record. For first-degree assault with a firearm, presumptive sentences often fall between 10 and 25 years, adjusted for aggravating factors like victim injury and group involvement. Young’s lack of prior adult convictions may have influenced the mid-range outcome, though the judge imposed the full probationary period to enforce compliance post-release.
The stolen vehicle was recovered shortly after the theft, but the emotional toll on the victims persists, as detailed in court filings. Victim 1 underwent reconstructive procedures for his injuries, a process that Maryland’s Victim Services Division supports through counseling and compensation funds for crime survivors. Under state law, eligible victims can seek up to $45,000 in reparations for medical costs and lost wages, administered via the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. This framework, established in 1963 and updated periodically, ensures access to resources without requiring civil suits.