MS-13 gang member sentenced for execution-style Beltsville murder in 2022

BELTSVILLE, Md. — A Greenbelt man convicted of murdering a man in Prince George's County two years ago will serve a decade behind bars, a judge ruled last week. Now, the county's lead prosecutor, Aisha Braveboy, is speaking out against the sentencing saying it "falls short of justice."

The State's Attorney's office said Anderson Blanco-Diaz faced up to a life sentence behind bars following the announcement of his first-degree murder conviction in July of this year. 

During trial prosecutors showed the Blanco-Diaz shot and killed 27-year-old Antoine Dorsey in 2022. Dorsey was killed with a single, close-range gunshot to the head while he was kneeling. He was found on July 5, 2022, abandoned and without identification by a passerby along the roadside near Beaver Dam and Biocontrol roads in the Beltsville Agricultural area. 

Investigators used DNA from his apartment and cell phone forensics to identify and arrest Blanco-Diaz and a 17-year-old co-defendant. Blanco-Diaz, 21, is associated with the MS-13 gang through his contacts.

Blanco-Diaz was also convicted of use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime and open wearing and carrying of a dangerous weapon with the intent to injure.

On Oct. 25, Blanco-Diaz was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Prosecutors said he faced a maximum sentence of life in prison.

In a statement Monday, Braveboy said she was profoundly disappointed by the ruling, especially considering that Blanco-Diaz has a pending case for attempted murder and rape involving two victims at the Prince George's County Detention Center.

"While we hold deep respect for the judicial process and the hard work of our judges, in this instance, we stand with the family in expressing disapproval and disappointment at the court’s sentencing decision. We strongly disagree with the presiding judge’s sentencing in this matter and believe it fails to meet the standard of accountability in this case," Braveboy said in a statement.