LEONARDTOWN — A Lexington Park man convicted of luring a volunteer firefighter to an apartment with the promise of meeting a woman, then ambushing and robbing him, will serve 14 years in prison, State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced Monday, Nov. 9.
D’Montre Montez Bush, 26, was sentenced to 20 years, with 14 years of active incarceration, for armed robbery and related offenses. The remaining six years were suspended. The release did not say whether Bush will be on probation once he is released.
A St. Mary’s County jury convicted Bush in May of armed robbery, robbery, first-degree assault and second-degree assault after a three-day trial. Circuit Judge Joseph Stanalonis presided over the case.
“The defendant and his accomplices lured and ambushed an unsuspecting victim who believed he was meeting up with a woman,” Sterling said in the release. “That kind of predatory behavior is particularly ruthless and demonstrates a blatant disregard for the safety and well-being of others.”
The night of the attack
The case dates to Nov. 16, 2025. The victim, a volunteer firefighter, went to an apartment on Spyglass Way in Lexington Park expecting to meet a woman he had been talking with online, according to the Chronicle’s earlier reporting.
Investigators said Bush and others, armed with knives and a machete, chased the man outside, stabbed him in the back and took his cellphone. He got to his vehicle and drove to the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department for help. He was flown to a regional hospital and later released.
Sheriff’s deputies charged suspects within days, and Bush was arrested Dec. 3, 2025, on charges that also included two counts of theft. He has been held without bond since his conviction. Monday’s release did not address the cases of others charged in the attack.
What the charges carry
Bush’s 20-year term matches the maximum for armed robbery under Maryland law. The release did not break down the sentence by count. Under state law, the maximum penalties for the crimes the jury found him guilty of are:
- Armed robbery, Criminal Law 3-403: 20 years
- Robbery, Criminal Law 3-402: 15 years
- First-degree assault, Criminal Law 3-202: 25 years
- Second-degree assault, Criminal Law 3-203: 10 years
Before trial, the State’s Attorney’s Office said Bush faced up to 20 years. The 14 years he must serve is 70% of the full term.
Sterling said the case shows her office’s approach to crimes that use deception to draw in victims. “No one should have to fear being targeted, deceived, and violently victimized,” she said. “This type of calculated violence will not be tolerated in our community.”
Assistant State’s Attorney Shaye Reynolds and Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Lisa Ridge prosecuted the case. Detective Kortnie Marsch of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office was the lead investigator.
