Juveniles Arrested For Break-Ins

Juveniles Arrested For Break-Ins
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OCEAN PINES – Ocean Pines Police this week arrested two juveniles in connection with a series of thefts from unlocked autos in the south section of the community on or around Jan. 30.

The youths, ages 15 and 16, were arrested and charged with numerous counts of felony and misdemeanor theft after Ocean Pines Police were able to connect them to at least 20 cases of theft from vehicles. Stolen were numerous electronic devices including GPS systems, iPods and satellite radios as well as some jewelry and other personal property.

As a result of an extensive investigation, Ocean Pines Police identified the juvenile suspects and were able to recover much of the stolen property. The investigation is ongoing and the two youths have been referred to the Worcester County Department of Juvenile Justice for prosecution. 

Boardwalk Exposer Arrested

OCEAN CITY – An Odenton, Md. man was arrested on indecent exposure charges last weekend after exposing his private parts for all to see from a Boardwalk motel balcony on Sunday morning.

Shortly after 10 a.m. on Sunday, an OCPD officer responded to the area of 1st Street and the Boardwalk for a reported indecent exposure. The officer met with a witness who reported a white male exposing his genitals from a fifth floor unit. The witness explained the suspect, later identified as John Robert Swinglish, 64, of Odenton, exited the room fully naked and walked out on the balcony. Swinglish reportedly stood there for several minutes and turned around several times.

The witness told police, “he was parading, or like showing off, but I don’t know what he was showing off,” according to police reports. The witness told police Swinglish was deliberately exposing himself to Boardwalk patrons. While the officer was talking to the witness, Swinglish allegedly came out on the balcony again and repeated his display. When Swinglish saw the officer, he reportedly turned around quickly and went back in the room.

The officer went to the room and spoke to Swinglish, who admitted somebody in the neighboring rooms could have seen him naked. He apologized for being nude on the balcony, but he was arrested and charged with two counts of indece 

10 Years For Sex Assault

SNOW HILL – A Lewes, Del. man arrested in June after allegedly raping a friend’s girlfriend in a resort hotel was found guilty this week on a third-degree sex offense charge and was sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Damon Mays, 35, of Lewes, appeared in Circuit Court on Wednesday to face several charges including second-degree rape and third-degree sex offense after an incident in a resort hotel room on June 18 during which he allegedly sexually assaulted his friend’s girlfriend. Mays entered an Alford Plea to the third-degree sex offense charge and was sentenced to 10 years in jail. In an Alford Plea, a defendant does not plead guilty but acknowledges the state has enough evidence to prosecute the case.

According to the facts of the case, Mays was staying at a hotel on 59th Street in Ocean City with a friend and his girlfriend after the three had been out drinking earlier in the evening. The couple invited Mays to sleep on a couch rather than attempt to drive home, according to police reports.

Around 4:30 a.m., the victim, a 21-year-old Crownsville woman, awoke to discover Mays had allegedly removed her pants and had intercourse were her while she was unconscious, according to police reports. When the victim confronted Mays, he quickly left the room and fled.

Ocean City police detectives obtained identification information about the suspect from the victim and her boyfriend and were able to locate Mays later on the same day in Ocean Pines and he was taken into custody without incident. This week, he was found guilty of the third-degree sex offense and sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Resort Stabber Convicted

SNOW HILL – The second of two Pennsylvania men arrested in June in connection to a double-stabbing on Baltimore Avenue in Ocean City this week was found guilty of first-degree assault and now awaits his fate pending the outcome of a pre-sentence investigation.

Omilthong Milfort, 18, of Lancaster, Pa., appeared in Circuit Court this week to stand trial for his role in the stabbing of two men during an altercation on Baltimore Avenue near 16th Street in June. Milfort faced two counts each of first- and second-degree assault and carrying a dangerous weapon with intent to injure. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, but was found guilty of first-degree assault. His sentence was deferred pending the outcome of a pre-sentence investigation.

Around 3:30 a.m. on June 15, two men later identified as Justin Pfieler, 21, of Baltimore, and David Grimes, 23, of Millersville, were reportedly walking in the street and impeding traffic in the area of 16th Street and Baltimore Ave. when they became involved in an argument with two men in a vehicle, later identified as Milfort and Edward Cockrell, 18, also of Lancaster.

At one point, Pfieler reportedly confronted the driver, identified as Cockrell, and pulled him out of the car. The two men began fighting before Grimes and Milfort joined the fray. According to police reports, Milfort then took out a knife and stabbed Grimes twice in the chest. He then swung the knife at Pfieler, striking him twice in the leg and once in the back, according to police reports. Milfort and Cockrell then fled the scene.

About a half an hour after the incident, Ocean City police located the suspect’s vehicle, a 1994 Oldsmobile registered to Cockrell’s mother, about a mile away from the crime scene. Cockrell was located on the street nearby and was taken into custody without further incident. Milfort, however, remained at large and ultimately fled to his hometown where he was taken into custody several days later.

Warrants for Milfort were obtained and OCPD detectives traveled to Lancaster to search for the suspect working in cooperation with law enforcement agencies there. After speaking with several people, detectives learned Milfort was staying with a female friend and set up surveillance operations. Around 9 p.m. on June 17, detectives knocked on the door of the residence and Milfort attempted to escape through a back window, but he was taken into custody by waiting officers.

In December, Cockrell pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 18 months in jail with all suspended but the 178 days he spent in jail awaiting trial.

Stiff Sentence For Beach Thefts

OCEAN CITY – One of two men arrested last summer in connection with a rash of thefts on the beach pleaded guilty last week in District Court to felony theft scheme over $500 and was sentenced to seven years in jail with two years suspended.

Michael Lee Sellers, 30, of Salisbury, appeared in District Court last week to face several charges related to a string of thefts in Ocean City last summer. Sellers pleaded guilty to theft scheme over $500 and was sentenced to seven years with two suspended, netting him five years in jail. He was also fined $500. His co-defendant, Auburn Broadie, 30, also of Salisbury,is scheduled to appear for trial in March.

Back in July, Ocean City police began investigating two separate thefts that occurred on the beach. In both cases, the suspects stole backpacks containing the victims’ personal items including credit and identification cards. After stealing the backpacks, the suspects took the victims’ credit cards and used them to purchase thousands of dollars in merchandise including expensive video gaming systems and gift cards totaling almost $4,000.

Ocean City police detectives began focusing their investigation on two individuals, later identified as Sellers and Broadie. Detectives were able to identify Sellers and Broadie by tracing the use of the victims’ stolen credit cards to corresponding video surveillance of the suspects. OCPD detectives then obtained arrest warrants for both Sellers and Broadie.

OCPD detectives were unable to locate the two suspects for several weeks, however. During the investigation, the OCPD and Salisbury Police Department began to realize Broadie and Sellers had committed similar thefts in Wicomico County. Police began expanding the investigation and were eventually able to discover Broadie and Sellers were now living in Wilmington.

The Wilmington Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Unit assisted the OCPD in finding an address where both suspects were living and the pair was eventually located and apprehended. Both Broadie and Sellers were later extradited to Worcester County to face multiple theft charges. 

Counterfeiter Convicted

OCEAN CITY – One of three Washington, D.C. men arrested in August for passing counterfeit $50 bills at a Boardwalk amusement park was found guilty last week of possession of forged currency and was sentenced to one year in jail, which was then suspended in favor of probation and a fine.

On Aug. 30, Ocean City Police were alerted by an employee at Jolly Roger’s on the pier that an unidentified man had just attempted to pay for a game with a counterfeit $50 bill. OCPD officer responded to the area, and with the help of park employees were able to identify the suspect and his associates.

During the investigation, OCPD detectives identified the suspects as Marquise Deandre Young, 18, David Lee Bailey, 23, and Antonie North, 19, all of Washington, D.C. The officers recovered $900 in counterfeit U.S. currency in denominations of $20 and $50. All three were arrested and charged with possession of forged currency. Last week, Young was found guilty and as sentenced to a year in jail, which was then suspended. He was placed on probation for a year and fined $342. Bailey was acquitted and North had the charges against him dropped.

Scooter Thief Found Guilty

OCEAN CITY – An Ocean City man arrested in November on theft and marijuana charges after getting caught riding a hot-wired scooter that had been reported stolen earlier pleaded guilty to theft plus $500 last week and was sentenced to a year in jail with all but one month suspended.

Shortly after midnight on Nov. 3, an OCPD officer took a report for a stolen motor scooter from a victim at the 7-Eleven on North Division Street. The victim told police he had last seen his scooter around 3 p.m. that afternoon across the street at the Shell Station. The officer took the report, but it wasn’t until the next day that the case began to unfold.

Around 7:30 a.m., the same officer was on routine patrol in the area of North Division Street when he saw a scooter roughly matching the description of the one reported stolen by the victim. It was described as a yellow Moto Fino brand with black trim and scratches on the side.

The officer stopped the suspicious scooter on Baltimore Ave. at 6th Street and talked to the operator, later identified as William Donald Doyle, 20, of Ocean City. Doyle told the officer he did not have a permit to operate the scooter or a driver’s license, nor could he produce the registration for the scooter. At that point, the officer noticed the scooter did not have a key in the ignition.

The officer asked Doyle who the scooter belonged to, and Doyle said he borrowed the scooter from a friend named Billy. He later gave the officer Billy’s full name, but it did not match the name of the victim. Doyle told police he received permission from Billy to borrow the scooter that day from the Dorchester Street area.

At that point, the officer contacted the victim and told him he believed he had his stolen scooter stopped. The victim provided the vehicle identification number to the officer and it matched the VIN on the scooter. The officer also noticed the scratches from the description provided by the victim. He also noted in his report there was no key in the ignition, but two ignition wires were twisted together, bypassing the ignition switch.

Doyle was then arrested and charged with the theft of the motor scooter. While he was being read his rights, Doyle allegedly said to the officer, “You want me to tell you who took it?” and “It was Billy, not me. I just borrowed it.” Doyle also told police Billy told him he had stolen it, but did not say from where.

During a search incident to the arrest, Doyle was found in possession of a small amount of marijuana, and possession charges were tacked on to the theft charges. Last week, Doyle pleaded guilty to theft and was sentenced to a year in jail with all but one month suspended. He was also fined $500.

Berlin Dealer Sentenced

SNOW HILL – A Berlin man arrested in May with a significant amount of marijuana and cocaine after getting caught going the wrong way on Flower Street this week was sentenced to two years in jail with all but six months suspended.

Christopher Todd Lewis, 22, of Berlin, was found guilty in November of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, but his fate was delayed pending the outcome of a pre-sentenced investigation. Back in court on Monday, Lewis was sentenced to two years in jail with all but six months suspended. He was also placed on probation for two years upon his release.

Around 4 p.m. on May 5, a Worcester County Sheriff’s Deputy observed a vehicle driven by Lewis going the wrong way on Flower Street. When the officer pulled the vehicle over, he interviewed Lewis who was clearly nervous with his hands shaking. The officer also noticed the strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.

The officer then initiated a probable cause search of the vehicle and a cooperative Lewis told him he would find illegal drugs in the center console. The search revealed 149 grams of marijuana in four different plastic bags and four grams of cocaine. A further search revealed a small digital scale and a stack of unused plastic Baggies as well as a substantial amount of cash.

Probation, Fine for Assault

SNOW HILL – A Berlin man arrested in December and charged with assault following a domestic incident in Ocean Pines this week pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was placed on probation and fined.

On Dec. 21, Ocean Pines police responded to a reported domestic incident in the community and later charged Benjamin Coleman-Rammer, 24, of Berlin, with second-degree assault. This week in District Court, Coleman-Rammer pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was placed on probation for one year and fined $500.