In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, Judge Jeannie Cho has sentenced defendant William Alvarenga, 21, of Gaithersburg, to 33 years in prison, suspending all but five years to serve and five years of supervised probation upon release after posting a threat towards a police officer on social media.
According to the office of the Montgomery County State’s Attorney, “On April 15, 2025, Alvarenga pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, illegal possession of a firearm, and possession of cannabis with intent to distribute.
This stems from an incident on November 4, 2024. Detectives with Montgomery County Police were alerted to a video posted on social media of an individual pointing a firearm from behind the wheel of a vehicle at a uniformed MCPD police officer on a motorcycle. The video was recorded while the two were stopped at a red traffic light on Midcounty Highway at Goshen Road in Montgomery Village. The video was captioned, “Should I smoke em.”
A Montgomery County Police investigation led to Alvarenga’s arrest on November 6, 2024. A large amount of cannabis was found in the defendant’s possession, and a Glock handgun with a high-capacity magazine was found inside his home. The Glock’s receiver had the same serial number as the firearm in the video posted to social media.
“We do not take lightly our profound obligation to protect law enforcement in our community who risk their lives to serve and protect us. This case also reminds us of the dangers, particularly to young people, when social media is misused and can serve as an inspiration for violence,” said State’s Attorney John McCarthy. Assistant State’s Attorney Karen Mooney prosecuted this case. A mugshot was not provided for Alvarenga.
