United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia
07/13/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/13/2026 15:43
D.C. Man Found Guilty of Armed Carjacking and Armed Robbery
WASHINGTON - Orlin Lemus-Cruz, 22, of the District, was found guilty today in D.C. Superior Court on charges related to the armed robbery of two victims on March 26, 2025, in Northwest, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Lemus-Cruz was found guilty of one count of armed carjacking, two counts of armed robbery and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld scheduled sentencing for October 30, 2026. The armed robbery conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years imprisonment. The armed carjacking conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of not less than 15 years and a maximum sentence of not more than 40 years of imprisonment.
According to the government's evidence, on the afternoon of March 26, 2025, Lemus-Cruz and his two co-conspirators, Jason Benitez-Umanzor and Julio Villafranco, approached two victims watching a soccer game at the Bell Athletic Field in the 3100 block of Hiatt Place, NW. The victims were then pistol-whipped and robbed at gunpoint of a coat and a moped.
Lemus-Cruz was arrested on April 5, 2025, and has been in custody since. Co-conspirators Jason Benitez-Umanzor and Julio Villafranco previously pleaded guilty to armed robbery on November 19, 2025.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nickolas Reck and Michael Dal Lago. Assistant United States Attorney Rashmika Nedungadi indicted the case.
2025 CF3 003832
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