Um, for any of you that grew up in the area...
4 Whitman Athletes Charged in Robbery
By Josh Barr
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 24, 2006; 9:40 PM
Four Whitman High School athletes have been charged with felony assault and armed robbery in connection with a March 30 robbery at a business in downtown Bethesda. A fifth classmate, who worked at the store, also has been charged.
The five students, all 17-year-old juniors, were charged as adults because of the serious nature of the charges, police said. "Because there was an innocent victim who was robbed at gunpoint, at this time we don't believe this was a prank," Montgomery County State's Attorney Douglas Gansler said.
The four students Pat Lazear, a 2005 All-Met football player, Justin Schweiger, Tommy Ashley and Alex Krouskas were charged with armed robbery, first-degree assault, theft of less than $500 and conspiracy to commit each of those crimes, police said in a statement yesterday. The charges carry a maximum punishment of 93 years in prison and a $1,000 fine. Robert Warren was charged with two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of armed robbery, using a handgun to commit a crime and theft of less than $500. Those charges carry a maximum punishment of 161 ½ years in prison and a fine of $500.
The robbery occurred around 9 p.m. on March 30 at the Smoothie King on Wisconsin Avenue. Krouskas worked at the shop and was one of two employees on duty when Warren entered carrying a gun, police said. Warren left the shop with $463 and got into a car driven by Lazear, police said. Police said Ashley, Schweiger and Warren's girlfriend also were in the vehicle.
Warren was arrested on April 27 and was subsequently released April 28 on $15,000 bondÃ?. The other four students were arrested at school last Thursday, according to court documents. Krouskas was released on $100,000 bond. Lazear, Ashley and Schweiger were released Friday after posting $15,000 bond.
Whitman Principal Alan Goodwin said yesterday that the five students were being allowed to attend class and finish the school year because the alleged incident took place outside of school and because none of the five had been involved in any disciplinary problems.
"I'm real disappointed that the charges are so serious and I hope the boys learn from this at an early age, that they don't make bigger mistakes when they're older," Goodwin said after reading the statement outlining the charges. "And I hope the other students in the community see that they should avoid making similar decisions that will adversely affect them."
Lazear, Schweiger, Ashley and Warren are members of the football and wresting teams at Whitman. A highly-touted linebacker and fullback, Lazear attended a lunch in Washington yesterday afternoon honoring this school year's All-Met athletes selected by The Washington Post. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Lazear has 20 college football scholarship offers, including some from the country's top football teams.
Reached by telephone yesterday evening, Lazear's father, Harry, an assistant football coach at Whitman, said: "There's nothing we can say to help us. It's something that's going to have to go through the courts." Lazear added that the gun "involved was not a real gun." He declined further comment.
It could not be determined what impact the arrest would have on Lazear's scholarship prospects. An assistant coach at one school that has offered a scholarship to Lazear said that some colleges might be hesitant to recruit him, especially in light of the controversy this spring surrounding the Duke lacrosse team in which three players including one from the Landon school just down the street from Whitman have been charged with raping an exotic dancer at a team party.
"Particularly in light of recent events, colleges are going to be very critical of issues of character," said the assistant coach, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
According to a statement of charges filed in District Court by Montgomery County police, Warren's girlfriend said that the five students "planned the robbery while at school earlier the day of the robbery."
The girl, who was not identified by name, told police that the four athletes met at Warren's house on Westbard Avenue and that "Warren prepared a bag to carry his robbery gear mask, goggles, hoodie. Lazear drove Warren's vehicle and dropped Warren off by the Smoothie King so he could run in to rob the business."
The girl told police that "the gun used in the robbery belonged to Pat Lazear," the police statement said.
After dropping off Warren, Lazear drove to the nearby Bethesda Elementary School to wait for Warren to meet them, the police statement said. It said the five subsequently went to a local pizza restaurant for dinner. The girl told police that "Warren divided the robbery proceeds in the vehicle: she received $5, Schweiger and Ashley each received $10." Warren told police that he also "gave Krouskas $40 from the robbery proceeds," according to the statement.
Police interviewed Krouskas on April 17 and he "admitted that he knew who had robbed the Smoothie King but initially refused to provide a name stating he wasn't a 'snitch,'" the statement said. It said Krouskas later told police that Warren was the robber.
According to the police statement, Krouskas told them that the plot was hatched at a Tech Ed class, where "several members of the wrestling and football team were talking about Robert Warren wanting to rob the Smoothie King."
"Krouskas informed Warren it would be a bad idea because of the cameras at the business," the statement said.
The statement said "police reports indicate Justin Schweiger has a juvenile arrest record to include theft under [$500], credit card misuse and conspiracy. According to the same police report, Patrick Lazear was arrested along with Schweiger and charged with the same offenses relating to the same incident."
David Driscoll, an attorney representing Warren, declined to comment. Krouskas also declined comment. Attempts to reach Ashley and Schweiger were unsuccessful.
Preliminary hearings for the four defendants other than Warren had been set for Friday, but prosecutors said they will be continued until June 16 at the request of the defendants' lawyers.
