Police Release Photo Of Purported ‘Moorish Nation’ Burglary Suspect In Maryland

This individual is a suspect in a burglary case involving purported “Moorish” nationals, police said.

The Montgomery County Police Department (Maryland) has released a photo of an alleged suspect who may be part of a bizarre crime linked to purported members of the purported “Moorish Nation.”

Individuals who purport to be “Moorish Americans” or “Moorish nationals” have been linked to plots to steal real estate in multiple U.S. states.

News accounts of such individuals sometimes describe the alleged thieves as “squatters” — individuals who prepare paperwork confections to take up residence in homes they don’t own or homes in foreclosure.

Some individuals who purport to be Moorish Americans are African Americans who claim to be immune to U.S. law, rather like so-called “sovereign citizens.”

The individual in the photo (left) was photographed inside a Montgomery County home that is part of a burglary investigation that already has led to criminal charges being filed against two others, police said.

From a statement by June 4 Montgomery County Police (italics added):

On January 3 at approximately 4:15 p.m., 2nd District officers responded to a burglary in progress at a residence in the 7000 block of Natelli Woods Lane in Bethesda.  The residence was for sale and was unoccupied.  Officers did not locate any suspects on scene.  However, witnesses stated that they observed a black male and black female inside the home. When witnesses had questioned the male suspect about his presence on the property, the male stated that the land belonged to “his people and his tribe.”

On January 5 at approximately 11:36 p.m., 2nd District officers responded again to the same residence for a burglary in progress.  Officers arrived on scene and located individuals on the property.  LAMONT MAURICE BUTLER, age 29, of the 2100 block of Duckhorn Court in Waldorf, stated to responding officers that he was a member of the Moorish Nation and had the right to claim the property.

Further investigation by detectives determined that Butler conspired with his girlfriend, SAKITA SHANIK HOLLY, age 34, of an unconfirmed address, to commit the burglary at the residence on Natelli Woods Lane.  Butler and Holly have both been charged by investigators with this first-degree burglary and have a scheduled trial date of September 17.

During this investigation, detectives obtained photographs of a third suspect involved in this burglary; the photographs show the suspect inside the burglarized home.  Investigators are asking anyone who can identify this suspect to please call the Vice and Intelligence Unit at 240-773-5958.