FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 27, 2012
Contact: Heather F. Williamson
Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office
20 East Market Street
Leesburg, VA 20176-2809
703 777-0242
18TH STREET GANG MEMBER BEHIND BARS
JUDGE IMPOSES 15 YEAR SENTENCE FOR GANG MEMBER’S ROLE IN TWO LOUDOUN ROBBERIES
LEESBURG, Virginia – August 24, 2012. Cesar Augusto Pisconte Jr., 21, appeared before Judge Thomas D. Horne in Loudoun County Circuit Court for sentencing on four felonies: two counts of Robbery, Criminal Street Gang Participation and Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony. Horne imposed a total active sentence of 15 years in the Virginia Department of Corrections.
The first incident occurred on Decemeber 24, 2011, when Pisconte and other 18th Street gang members robbed an individual delivering Chinese food to the Ashburn area at knife point. The delivery man fled without injury after complying with the gang member’s orders.
The second robbery occurred one week later at the Fairfield Inn in Sterling. Pisconte entered the lobby of the hotel and pointed a gun at the night clerk. Pisconte ordered the victim to give him all the money from the cash register, and advised that he would not hurt her if she complied. The victim retrieved the cash drawer and Pisconte, along with a co-defendant, removed all of the money from the drawer and ran from the establishment.
Pisconte, a known member of the Criminal Street Gang “18th Street “ confessed to participating in both robberies as part of gang “missions.” Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Plowman was pleased with the sentence saying “Gang activity will not be tolerated in our community. If you choose to associate with gangs and participate in violent crimes such as these, you should be prepared to pay a steep price.”
While in jail for this incident Pisconte acquired four new criminal convictions for Assault and Battery, Obstruction of Justice, and two Destruction of Property charges. Pisconte also has an upcoming sentencing hearing in Prince William County Circuit Court for a felony Conspiracy charge where he faces up to 10 years in prison, and a Probation Violation hearing in Fairfax County Circuit Court where previously suspended time may be re-imposed.
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