Collin J. Potter, a man charged with premeditated first-degree murder while armed for the murder of gay corporate manager Vongell Lugo in January 6, 2019, has pleaded guilty in D.C. Superior Court to a single count of second-degree murder while armed. The plea came as part of a plea bargain deal offered by prosecutors with the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. The agreement calls for prosecutors to ask Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo to sentence Potter to between 14 and 16 years of incarceration.
Under D.C. law, second-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. Potter’s guilty plea was a result of a motion filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Roman, the lead prosecutor in the case, calling for dismissing four of the five counts in the grand jury indictment against Potter. The counts that were dismissed included two counts of felony murder while armed (aggravating circumstances), kidnapping while armed, and first-degree sexual assault while armed.
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In addition to the plea bargain, Potter agreed to sign a one-page Proffer of Facts submitted by prosecutors that details the allegations against him. The proffer states that on the night of the murder, Lugo and Potter met at a bar, and after inviting Potter to his apartment, Potter unprovokedly attacked Lugo and killed him. Potter was arrested on the scene and initially charged with second-degree murder while armed. The case went on for four years until the scheduled trial in April 18, 2023.
