A Montgomery County judge has sentenced a Silver Spring man to decades in prison for his role in a deadly 2022 shooting tied to gang activity.
In Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Judge Terrence McGann sentenced Jonathan Leon-Chacon, 28, to 75 years in prison on March 20, 2026. Leon-Chacon had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and participation in a criminal organization resulting in death. He is the fourth defendant to be convicted and sentenced in connection with the case.
The shooting occurred on November 9, 2022, on Colony Road in Silver Spring. According to prosecutors, four victims were gathered near a vehicle listening to music when gunfire erupted. Nineteen-year-old Willians Anderson Alberto Cruz was killed at the scene, while two others were struck multiple times and transported to the hospital. A fourth victim was not physically injured.
Authorities said the defendants were identified as members of the MS-13 gang and that the victims were not previously known to them. Prosecutors stated the shooting was carried out in retaliation for defaced gang graffiti in a nearby wooded area, though the victims were not responsible. Two co-defendants carried out the shooting, while Leon-Chacon and another individual waited in a getaway vehicle.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorneys Teresa Casafranca and Kimberly Cissel.
