A 21-year-old man was found guilty in a Rockville court on charges of first-degree murder Friday in connection with a 2022 gang-related shooting in Silver Spring that killed a 20-year-old man, according to a statement from the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office.
A Montgomery County Circuit Court jury found Edgard Castro-Contreras, of an unknown address, guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder for the November 2022 death of Edvin Agustin Leon. The same shooting involved a second victim who survived, Alex Castro Sabrian, for which Castro-Contreras was also found guilty of attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and two firearm charges. Castro-Contreras’ lawyer, Deborah Warner-Dennis of Baltimore law firm Warner-Dennis Law, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment,
According to the statement, Castro-Contreras faces the possibility of multiple life sentences and an additional 40 years. Castro-Contreras is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 18.
According to charging documents, on Nov. 9, 2022, the victims were “accosted by MS-13 gang members,” one of which Castro Sabrian later identified as Castro-Contreras, because of “an accusation related to gang activity.” MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha is a criminal street gang, according to the charging documents.
The documents said the group walked the victims in separate directions and led them to a wooded area behind 9074 Piney Branch Road. Once they were in the woods, according to the documents, the group took the victims’ personal property, then shot them.
Agustin Leon was killed, and Castro Sabrian was shot multiple times but “survived the attempt on his life by pretending to be dead,” according to the Monday statement. Castro Sabrian crawled a quarter mile and cried for help, after which neighbors called 911, according to the statement.
Montgomery County police, with the help of the FBI, found the shooting was related to MS-13 and that two higher-ranking members of the gang provided firearms to three lower-ranked members and instructed the group to shoot and kill the two victims, according to the statement. The county state’s attorney’s office believes Castro-Contreras killed Agustin Leon, according to the statement.
Others allegedly involved in the shooting are pending trial or sentencing. A Friday trial for co-defendant Sender Emanuel Godoy-Lemus resulted in a hung jury. The county state’s attorney’s office plans to retry the case, according to the statement.
Co-defendant Brayan Bonilla-Andrade pleaded guilty to several charges including first- degree murder. Bonilla-Andrade faces the possibility of two life sentences plus 20 years, depending on an upcoming sentencing hearing, according to the statement. No date was provided for the hearing. Two other co-defendants, Jonathan Videz Martinez and Carlo Yaque Del Cid, are pending trial on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder and other related charges.
