Two and a half weeks after one judge refused a plea deal for the accused conspirator of a botched July 10, 2009, robbery in Leesburg, another judge accepted a plea agreement for him.
__thumb.JPG) Donald L. Blount |
Donald Leroy Blount, 45, will serve three years in prison for his part in a crime spree that had the town of Leesburg on high alert for most of the day.
Blount, of Leesburg, stood before Judge Herman Whisenant March 12 and entered an Alford plea on one count of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
An Alford plea is a form of guilty plea where a defendant maintains his innocence but acknowledges there is enough evidence for a jury to convict him.
In return for Blount’s plea, the commonwealth is not pursuing charges of conspiracy and attempted robbery in the case.
Immediately after Blount pleaded guilty, Whisenant ordered him to serve three years in prison, the mandatory sentence for using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
On Feb. 24, it looked as though Blount might go to trial on all three charges after Judge Thomas Horne refused a plea agreement from Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Totten and Blount’s attorney Eric Strom.
Details of that proposed agreement were not made available during the hearing, but details of Blount’s prior record were revealed. He has a history of felony robbery charges in several jurisdictions.
“I am not going to accept this agreement,” Horne said. “I think based on his prior record, this man is a public menace.”
Police accuse Blount of being the mastermind behind William Spencer’s July 10 attempted robbery of The Other Kind of Jewelry Store.
In January, Spencer, 50, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to the attempted robbery and two hostage situations that happened the same day.
Blount was arrested July 13 for his part in the crime spree.
In Blount’s preliminary hearing, Spencer testified that Blount planned the robbery of The Other Kind of Jewelry Store and gave Spencer the gun he used to carry out the robbery.
Spencer is scheduled to be sentenced May 6 at 10 a.m.
If this is the guy that “RUKIDDING” is talking about he held up Caulkins jewlery store on south king street (not 100% on the spelling) then proceeded to drive his jeep to a leesburgs Dr. I want to say Balote’s(again not 100% on spelling) parents house by catoctin elementry school and held them hostage. I remember the whole thing it was really close to my house, i live diagonal from the school.
Even though he did make a deal with the DA to testify against his buddy, the sentence is too light.
RUKIDDING: Same case, different person. William Spencer held up the store and carried out the hostage situations on Royal Street and Valley View Avenue. Blount’s plea was for helping plan the robbery part of Spencer’s crime spree. Spencer will be sentenced May 6.
I don’t recall all the specifics. But wasn’t this the DONKEY that held up a store,ran,held a couple hostage, then was captured? He got 3 years!!?? if this is the same person that is BS!!!!!!
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