Author Topic: Ho Ly Shit.  (Read 6775 times)

you be betty

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Ho Ly Shit.
« on: May 24, 2006, 10:37:00 pm »
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.

beetsnotbeats

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Re: Ho Ly Shit.
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2006, 10:47:00 pm »
They have nothing to worry about. They'll do no time. They are untouchable. They are the most culturally revered people in America. They are the real American Idols. They are high school jocks.
 
 Nice timing with today's WP All-Met section.

you be betty

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Re: Ho Ly Shit.
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2006, 10:50:00 pm »
I don't really care about the punishment...but there are so many things that are wrong with this picture.
 
 First of all, each one of those kids comes from extremely wealthy families and is extremely spoiled.
 
 Second of all, if you're going to rob a place, why the fuck would you rob a Smoothie King?
 
 Third of all, my ipod was stolen earlier this year, and two of those kids are in my tech ed class where this robbery was supposedly devised...
 
 
 Did they think this was a JOKE?  Do they realize how good we have it?  As we've established in the last 24 hours, we're lucky enough to have parents that pay for our college education.  Let alone parents that pay for all this other stuff.  Do they realize how many other people in the world would KILL to have what they have?  
 
 I mean, obviously not, but god.  That just BOTHERS me.  That bothers me a whole lot.

andyrichter

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Re: Ho Ly Shit.
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2006, 11:04:00 pm »
hey betty, you go to whitman?  that is a shocker.  whitman is full of soiled sob's and jocks with rich daddy's but i never heard of armed robbery coming from kids at that school.  i guess there's a first time for everything.  
 
 i'm sure they'll be fully prepared for what jail has in store.  i mean, growing up in the rough and tumble streets of river road and wisconsin ave?  sheeeaaat..

you be betty

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Re: Ho Ly Shit.
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2006, 11:06:00 pm »
Yeah, I do go to Whitman.  Thanks for that.  It's a good thing my dad's a cheap-ass.

nkotb

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Re: Ho Ly Shit.
« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2006, 11:07:00 pm »
This story personally affects me.  I used to eat at that Smoothie King.

andyrichter

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Re: Ho Ly Shit.
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2006, 11:38:00 pm »
Quote
Originally posted by you be betty:
  Yeah, I do go to Whitman.  Thanks for that.  It's a good thing my dad's a cheap-ass.
My comment was actually directed at those in privileged positions who do NOT value and appreciate what they have and think the world revolves around them which applies to many, many Whitman kids I've seen.  You seem to have a good head on your shoulders though so, uh good job I guess?  :)

chaz

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Re: Ho Ly Shit.
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2006, 07:12:00 am »
Yeah it's totally whacked when seemingly well adjusted kids pull major shit like that.
 
 Remember that gang of armed robbers that pulled off all those brazen bank robberies in DC a few years back (they were just in the news cuz the one that ratted on the whole gang just got sentenced a month or two ago)?
 
 One of those kids (the rat, actually) was one of my best friend's (from back in my late teens/early 20's at least) little brother.  Little Dino...the one we used to pick on...the one whose window we used to rap on in the middle of the night so he'd go and wake up Abdullah...robbing banks with a freaking machine gun!!!  And doing it quite well by all reports.
 
 Totally wierd.  Talk about falling in with the wrong crowd.  He's doing about 20 years now.  These kids won't do much time, if any, but their futures are seriously altered now.

HoyaSaxa03

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Re: Ho Ly Shit.
« Reply #8 on: May 25, 2006, 08:25:00 am »
Quote
Originally posted by Chaz, Lover of all Beings:
  robbing banks with a freaking machine gun!!!  And doing it quite well by all reports.
those guys were ballers ... like something out of "heat"
(o|o)

chaz

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Re: Ho Ly Shit.
« Reply #9 on: May 25, 2006, 08:34:00 am »
Quote
Originally posted by HoyaSaxa08:
     
Quote
Originally posted by Chaz, Lover of all Beings:
  robbing banks with a freaking machine gun!!!  And doing it quite well by all reports.
those guys were ballers ... like something out of "heat" [/b]
Totally...I remember when it was all over the news as it was happening.  We all flipped when we found out my friends little brother was involved.  He also got popped for a bunch of carjackings and other shit.  Crazy.  It's that damn rap music he got into.  If he'd been a little hardcore kid like the rest of us I'm sure things would have turned out differently.     :D

eltee

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Re: Ho Ly Shit.
« Reply #10 on: May 25, 2006, 11:05:00 am »
Quote
Originally posted by nkotb:
  This story personally affects me.  I used to eat at that Smoothie King.
Hope they didn't take your member card.   ;)  
 
 Stories like this aren't anything new. They are absorbed and desire leads to desire. Probably some drug use in there, eh?
 
 What's sad is the story about the 12 year-old in Leesburg who shot kids on his bus stop yesterday (w/ a bee bee gun). The school is taking care of it, not Johnny Law.

eltee

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Re: Ho Ly Shit.
« Reply #11 on: May 25, 2006, 11:06:00 am »
Quote
Originally posted by HoyaSaxa08:
   
Quote
Originally posted by Chaz, Lover of all Beings:
  robbing banks with a freaking machine gun!!!  And doing it quite well by all reports.
those guys were ballers ... like something out of "heat" [/b]
Uh, more like "City of God".

MindCage

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Re: Ho Ly Shit.
« Reply #12 on: May 25, 2006, 11:44:00 am »
Quote
Originally posted by andyrichter:
  hey betty, you go to whitman?  that is a shocker.  whitman is full of soiled sob's and jocks with rich daddy's but i never heard of armed robbery coming from kids at that school.  i guess there's a first time for everything.  
 
 i'm sure they'll be fully prepared for what jail has in store.  i mean, growing up in the rough and tumble streets of river road and wisconsin ave?  sheeeaaat..
Are you kidding me? You really think these kids will go to jail? lol Not a chance. They're getting the best lawyers Mommy and Daddy can buy.
 
 Churchill has had it's fair share of criminals roll through there (minus Seth and me of course) and there were people being pulled out of classrooms when I was there in the tail end of the 80s.
 
 I'm sure something else will get blamed for their actions. Clearly these kids couldn't have been at fault or their parents. You know...their nanny tried to raise them the best they knew how.
 
 MindCage
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3MTA3

eltee

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Re: Ho Ly Shit.
« Reply #13 on: May 25, 2006, 11:58:00 am »
Quote
Originally posted by MindCage:
  Are you kidding me? You really think these kids will go to jail?
and they'll all still get into college...just like the OC.

chaz

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Re: Ho Ly Shit.
« Reply #14 on: May 25, 2006, 11:58:00 am »
Quote
Originally posted by Tee:
   
Quote
Originally posted by HoyaSaxa08:
   
Quote
Originally posted by Chaz, Lover of all Beings:
  robbing banks with a freaking machine gun!!!  And doing it quite well by all reports.
those guys were ballers ... like something out of "heat" [/b]
Uh, more like "City of God". [/b]
Great fucking movie.