OCEAN CITY – Three out of the four locals, ranging in age
from 20 to 23, arrested on drug charges back in February after neighbors called
police to complain of loud music coming from a nearby house each faced trial
Monday in different forms.
According to court records, it was around 4:20 a.m. on
Feb. 23 when OCPD Officer Kelley was dispatched to the area of Sunset Drive to
assist Officer Perry with a disorderly house call. After speaking with the
complainants, officers approached the noisy house nearby on Bayshore Drive and
were met by a female, identified as Nikki Busch, 23, of Ocean City, at the back
door.
Kelley was permitted to enter the house and in doing so,
noticed a male, later identified as Curtis James Adkins, 21, of Ocean City,
coming out of a bedroom that still had two other males inside listening to
music. According to court documents, the two other males were later identified
as Jeremy Robert Markel, 23, of Ocean Pines, and Jeremiah Solon Presby, 20, of
Snow Hill. Kelley noted that the room was full of a thick, white smoke, which
he believed to smell like marijuana.
Since Busch’s name was on the lease, she gave Kelley
permission to search the rest of the rooms for any other occupants. During his
search of the bedroom, Kelley saw a marijuana joint near where Markel and
Presby were seated as well as multiple baggies of marijuana. A digital scale as
well as a glass, smoking device were found, too.
All four subjects were then placed under arrest for
possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia.
On Monday, the first to go on trial before Judge Daniel R.
Mumford was Presby, who plead guilty to possession of marijuana. Since it was
his first offense, Mumford fined him $300 and placed him on one year of
unsupervised probation.
Next on trial was Markel who plead not guilty to both
possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Although Markel
said the marijuana and paraphernalia was not his and that he was “in the wrong
place at the wrong time,” Kelley’s testimony of how he found a marijuana joint
sitting between where him and Presby were found when he entered sealed his
fate. He was then placed on one year of unsupervised probation and fined a
total of $600 for both charges.
Last to appear before Mumford was Adkins who refused to go
to trial before the judge and instead opted to take advantage of his right to a
jury trial at a later date.
Pricey Consequences For Liquor Thief
OCEAN CITY – A female who was the driver in a Laurel
couple’s scheme to rob liquor stores in order to purchase illegal drugs with
the money made from the stolen goods plead guilty to theft Monday morning
following her arrest in November.
According to court documents, resort police arrested
Kristina Margaret Jones, 19, and James Truman Fowler Jr., 29, back on Nov. 8
for theft over $500, theft scheme over $500, theft under $100 and theft under
$500 when surveillance footage showed the couple stealing items from stores
throughout the area.
According to police records, Jones would accompany Fowler
into liquor stores, steal merchandise and drive him from the scene, a routine
they reportedly used on numerous occasions throughout the state.
The scheme ended when Jones and Fowler struck Late Nite
Inc. and Liquid Assets, two local establishments that sell alcohol.
The discovery was made after OCPD officers initiated a
traffic stop of the vehicle driven by Jones. During the stop, police located 26
individual bottles of liquor, including a bottle of Krug champagne valued at
more than $605 and other bottles of pricey alcohol. Also in the vehicle were 44
packs of razorblades. After his arrest, Fowler reportedly told police the couple
stole alcohol from stores throughout the state in exchange for crack cocaine.
Jones said Fowler paid her to drive him to various locations to steal alcohol
and local surveillance cameras caught the two in the act.
On Monday, Judge Daniel R. Mumford ordered Jones to pay
$780.92 in restitution for the items stolen. He also fined her an additional
$500, placed her on two years of supervised probation and ordered her to serve
40 hours of community service for her involvement in the thefts.
Lewes Man Pleads Guilty To Drug
Charge
OCEAN CITY – A Lewes, Del., man who was arrested back on
Jan. 20 after resort officers approached his vehicle that was playing its music
much too loud and later discovered him to be in possession of marijuana was in
District Court Monday morning to plead guilty to a possession of marijuana
charge.
According to police reports, it was approximately 2 a.m.
when OCPD Officer Shawn Beach was on uniformed foot patrol near Seacrets at
49th Street when he heard the bass of a car stereo coming from a Volkswagon
Golf parked along a public street over 100 feet away.
Beach approached the car and identified the driver as
David Andrew Tucker, 23. After speaking with Tucker for a moment, Beach noticed
traces of what looked to be marijuana in an astray. After further examination,
Beach determined that it was in fact marijuana and placed Tucker under arrest.
A search of Tucker’s vehicle was then conducted where
officers found a bag in the back containing drug paraphernalia, a digital scale
and a Tupperware container. According to police reports, the container held two
large bags of marijuana totaling 47.8 grams along with $370 in cash. The amount
of the contents in the container along with the scale lead officers to believe
Tucker had intent to distribute. He was charged with possession of a controlled
dangerous substance with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana and
possession of CDS paraphernalia.
At court, Tucker said the marijuana was for personal use
and that the scale was bought so he wouldn’t be cheated out of the drug when he
bought it, not to weigh it out for distribution.
Since this was his first offense, Judge Daniel R. Mumford
reluctantly sentenced Tucker to one year of unsupervised probation and fined
him $300.
Drug Distribution Arrest
OCEAN CITY – A month-long investigation conducted by the
OCPD Narcotics Unit ended Wednesday evening with the arrest of an Ocean City
woman.
According to a press release, officers had been
investigating Kathy C. Matthews, 35, regarding drug distribution. In the past,
undercover narcotics officers were able to purchase powder cocaine from her on
two separate occasions.
It was on May 2 when a third deal to purchase more of the
illegal substance was slated to take place. Meeting up on 10th Street and the
Boardwalk, the press release goes on to say how Matthews met up with an
undercover officer once again and sold five pieces of folded paper, each
containing $20 worth of crack cocaine.
Following the transaction, Matthews was then arrested and
officers were able to seize more crack cocaine, powder cocaine, marijuana, 18
prescription pills and $137.
She is being charged with three counts of distribution of
cocaine, three counts of possession of cocaine, four counts of possession of a
controlled dangerous substance, specifically Methadose, Ambien, Endocet and
Valium. Matthews is being held on $250,000 bond.
Diners Run Out On
Bill, Into Another
Vehicle
OCEAN CITY – After only paying for part of their bill at a
local restaurant, a couple who dined and dashed soon found their night to be a
costly one after all when they ran a red light and struck another car after
fleeing from the restaurant, only to flee from the scene of the accident as
well.
According to police records, it was almost 8 p.m. last
Friday when OCPD Officer Pamela DeGiovanni responded to the area of 70th Street
in regards to a report of a property damage accident. It was reported that the
driver and passenger of the car at fault had fled the scene.
Upon arrival, DeGiovanni observed the car cars involved in
the accident, a silver Mercedes occupied by a Delaware couple and a silver
Toyota that was occupied by two individuals who fled and would later be
identified as Karen Lynn Price, 24, of West Chantilly, Va., and John Duvall
Canova, 27, of Elkridge, Md.
The Delaware couple stated they were driving northbound on
Coastal Highway when they entered the turn lane for 70th Street. According to
police records, after getting the green arrow to make the left turn, they did
so, only to be struck by the silver Toyota that failed stop.
A nearby witness verified the Delaware couple’s story and
said he saw the front passenger, Canova, immediately exit the vehicle and run
west on 70th Street. He then stated he saw the driver, Price, exit the vehicle
and walk southwest into a nearby Dough Roller parking lot at 69th Street where
another witness followed her and returned her to the scene.
DeGiovanni then spoke with Price and asked her for her
license. After telling the officer she didn’t have one because it was suspended,
she was placed under arrest for driving on a suspended license and failure to
remain at the scene of an accident.’
According to police records, a search incident to arrest
of the vehicle turned up a partially burnt marijuana cigarette in the ashtray
of the vehicle as well as a digital scale in the glove compartment.
It was then that Velenovsky approached DeGiovanni again
and told her he was the manager of the Bonfire restaurant and that Price and
Canova had fled the establishment after leaving $59 for a $122.92 check. He
then went outside and watched them flee from the area in a vehicle from 71st
Street and witnessed the accident take place.
Approximately an hour later, officers were able to find
Canova, or Jason Crestfield as Price had told police, in the area of 3000
Baltimore Avenue. He was then placed under arrest as well and charged with
numerous offenses ranging from possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia
to possession of burglary tools and credit card theft.
Food Stolen From Mexican Restaurant
OCEAN CITY- Resort police are urging local businesses to
be on the lookout for food stolen from a north-end Ocean City restaurant last
weekend.
Ocean City Police are investigating the theft of over $800
worth of food from an outdoor refrigerator at Tequila Mockingbird last Sunday
morning. The restaurant owner told police someone had broken into the outside
refrigerator and stolen several cases of food including five cases of Metompkin
Bay crabmeat with 12 cans in each case, two cases of chicken breasts and one
case of pork loin.
Police are asking area restaurants and other businesses in
the food industry to be on the lookout for the items being offered for sale.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is encouraged to call the OCPD
criminal investigation division at (410) 723-6604.
Runaway Found in
Pennsylvania
OCEAN CITY – A teenage runaway from Pennsylvania thought
to be in Ocean City last week was found on Tuesday in York, Pa.
Resort police last week broadcast the description and
initiated a search for Candace Faircloth, 17, of Littlestown, Pa., who was
believed to have come to the Ocean City area. The Littlestown police listed
Faircloth as a runaway on April 27 and alerted resort police she was believed
to be heading this way.
However, she was found on Tuesday morning in York, Pa.
unharmed and staying with an unidentified male. She was taken into custody
around 1 a.m. on Tuesday morning by York police.
Afraid of Cops
OCEAN CITY – A Parsonsburg, Md. man last week jumped out
of a moving car and attempted to flee from Maryland State Police on foot along
Sunset Ave. in West Ocean City before being arrested for drugs.
On May 1, a Maryland State Police trooper was on normal
patrol on Sunset Ave. when he witnessed a Black Kia accelerate in front of him
and turn into a parking lot. Before the vehicle came to a stop, a passenger,
later identified as Michael Francis Cornwell, 21, of Parsonsburg, jumped out
and attempted to flee on foot, but he was quickly apprehended. When asked why
he was attempting to run, Cornwell told police “he was afraid of police.”
While talking with Cornwell, the officer noticed an
unusual bulge in the watch pocket of his jeans. A consent pat-down revealed a
small, clear baggie containing a white powder. Cornwell than told police the
substance was Darvocet and was not prescribed to him. He was taken into
custody, charged with possession and later released.
Child Support
Scofflaw Arrested After
Chase
BERLIN – A Laurel, Del. man was arrested this week on a
bench warrant for not paying child support after leading Maryland State Police
troopers on a brief foot chase.
On Monday, a Maryland State Police trooper initiated a
traffic stop on a 1999 Chrysler along Route 113 near Germantown Rd. for routine
traffic violations. The trooper approaching the vehicle noticed several
indications of criminal behavior and requested the assistance of the Berlin
Police K-9 unit. Upon the arrival of the K-9 unit, the passenger of the
vehicle, later identified as Darrell Edward Harris, 24, of Laurel, was asked to
get out of the car.
It turned out the suspect had given the trooper a false
name, and when the officer correctly identified the suspect as Harris, the
suspect took off on foot across Route 113. Troopers chased him through a field
and into the Reedy Cover Apartments, where he was taken into custody. It was
then learned Harris had fled because he had a bench warrant sworn out on him
for failure to pay child support
Plea In ‘Emergency’ Breakfast Case
SNOW HILL – A local woman arrested in January for
allegedly becoming hostile and assaulting a resort police officer who did not
immediately respond to her “emergency” pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct
this week in Circuit Court and was placed on probation and fined $200.
On Jan. 15, OCPD Officer Tarek Dagstani was dispatched to
the beach at 59th Street after receiving a call about a person
wrapped in a blanket that had been there for quite awhile, according to
witnesses. As the officer approached 59th Street, he noticed an SUV
in the southbound turn lane with its driver frantically waving her arms,
honking the horn and yelling. Thinking the driver might have information
regarding the person on the beach, the officer waited for the SUV to approach
him on 59th Street.
The driver, later identified as Norma Ruth Flicop, 46, of
Ocean City, began yelling hysterically that she was locked out of her house and
that her daughter had not had her breakfast, according to police reports.
The officer noticed the daughter in the passenger seat
and, after determining there was no real emergency, dismissed Flicop and went
on to investigate the body on the beach. However, Flicop followed the officer
to the beach in her vehicle and continued to blow her horn, not intermittently,
but constantly, in an effort to get the officer’s full attention. Dagstani then
approached Flicop, who had exited her car and continued to verbally attack the
officer, yelling “you [expletive deleted], someone needs to teach you how to do
your [expletive deleted] job.”
Flicop then got back in her car when the officer told her
he was placing her under arrest for disorderly conduct. When Dagstani attempted
to get Flicop out of the SUV, she refused to let go of the steering wheel,
despite pleas from her daughter to cooperate. Finally, with a threat of pepper
spray, Flicop gave in and got out of the vehicle. The verbal assaults continued
and when another officer responded to assist, Flicop struck him in the stomach
with her knee.
Flicop was eventually subdued and charged with disorderly
conduct, resisting arrest and second-degree assault on the assisting officer.
This week in Circuit Court, she entered an Alford Plea to the disorderly
conduct charge and was placed on probation and fined $200.
NYE Bottle Basher
Sentenced
SNOW HILL – A Baltimore man arrested in January for
bashing another man over the head with a beer bottle in an uptown bar in the
wee hours of the morning on New Year’s Eve was found guilty this week of
second-degree assault and was sentenced to 18 months in jail, all of which was
suspended but 30 days.
Around 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, an OCPD officer responded to a
north Ocean City establishment for a reported assault. Upon arrival, the
officer observed a man exiting the bar through the front door bleeding from the
head and neck. The investigation revealed the victim had been dancing with a
female on the dance floor of the bar when he was struck on the left side of his
forehead with a beer bottle.
The victim identified the suspect as Roger Adams Steger,
Jr., 26, of Baltimore. Witnesses inside the bar also identified Steger as the
man who smashed the victim with the beer bottle. The victim was eventually
taken to Atlantic General Hospital where he was treated and released.
Meanwhile, Steger, Jr. was arrested and charged with second-degree assault.
This week in Circuit Court, Steger, Jr. was found guilty
of second-degree assault and was sentenced to 18 months in jail. All but 30
days of the sentence was suspended, which Steger, Jr. will serve on consecutive
weekends beginning today. He was also forced to pay over $1,700 in restitution
to the victim
Prescription Fraud
BERLIN – A Willards man was arrested last week in a Berlin
pharmacy after it was revealed he forged a prescription for the painkiller
Oxycotin.
On May 2, Berlin Police Department officers responded to
the Rite Aid pharmacy on Old Ocean City Blvd. for a suspected prescription
fraud investigation. The officers learned Thomas McNish, 24, of Willards, had
presented a forged prescription for Oxycotin.
When McNish arrived to pick up his prescription, he was
arrested and charged with possession of a forged prescription, obtaining a drug
by fraud, uttering a forged prescription and forgery. He was taken into custody
and released on a $15,000 unsecured bond.
Public Safety Day
Postponed
OCEAN
CITY – The 2nd Annual Public Safety Day scheduled for tomorrow in Ocean City at
the Public Safety Building on 65th Street has been postponed due to
the threat of inclement weather.