LEONARDTOWN — A St. Mary’s County jury convicted D’Montre Montez Bush of armed robbery and related crimes following a three-day trial, the State’s Attorney’s Office announced Monday.
Bush, 26, of Lexington Park, remains held without bond pending sentencing. He faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison.
The conviction stems from events on Nov. 16, 2025, in Lexington Park. Deputies responded to a reported robbery and found an adult male victim seeking medical aid at the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department. The victim, a volunteer firefighter, had gone to an apartment on Spyglass Way expecting to meet a woman he had been communicating with online.
Investigators determined Bush and other accomplices ambushed him. Armed with knives and a machete, they chased the victim outside, stabbed him in the back and robbed him of his cell phone. The victim escaped to his vehicle, drove to the fire department for help, and was flown to a regional hospital for treatment of his stab wounds. He was later released.
“This was a deliberate and dangerous attack that escalated into violence and serious injury,” State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling said in a statement. “The victim was targeted, assaulted, and robbed through an act of deception. He luckily managed to escape any further injury, thanks to the quick aid of emergency responders and medical professionals.”
Sterling added that her office is grateful for the efforts of investigators, the prosecution team and the jury in securing the conviction.
Bush was arrested Dec. 3, 2025, after deputies executed a warrant. He had been charged with armed robbery, robbery, first-degree assault, second-degree assault and two counts of theft of property valued between $100 and $1,500.
Assistant State’s Attorney Shaye Reynolds and Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Lisa Ridge prosecuted the case on behalf of the citizens of St. Mary’s County. Detective Kortnie Marsch of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office served as the lead investigator. The Honorable Joseph Stanalonis presided over the trial.
The case drew local attention because the victim was a volunteer firefighter with the Bay District department where he sought immediate aid. The ambush occurred after the victim responded to an online invitation, a tactic prosecutors described as deceptive. Bush’s conviction closes one chapter of the investigation that began the night of the stabbing.
Sentencing has not been scheduled. Bush will remain in custody at the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center in Leonardtown until then.
The verdict underscores law enforcement’s response to violent crimes involving weapons and deception in southern Maryland communities. St. Mary’s County officials have not released further information on the jury’s specific findings on the related charges.
