SALISBURY — A former Ocean City police and Snow Hill police officer and Worcester County Sheriff candidate, charged in July with alleged assault weapons violations following a joint investigation in Worcester and Wicomico Counties, was cleared in the most serious counts this week and found guilty in four others, resulting in a suspended two-year sentence.
In late June, investigators from the Wicomico County Narcotics Task Force and the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team received information about an illegal sale of an AK-47 assault rifle. Detectives were able to determine the person attempting to sell the illegal assault weapon was former OCPD officer David Catrino, 45, of West Ocean City, according to police reports.
After identifying Catrino as the person allegedly attempting to sell the firearm, an operation was initiated by the joint investigation teams in Worcester and Wicomico. At the completion of the operation, investigators obtained an arrest warrant charging Catrino with the illegal sale of a firearm. Catrino was later arrested without incident by the Maryland State Police Gang Enforcement Unit at his place of employment in Salisbury.
Catrino was charged with the unlawful sale or transfer of a regulated firearm and four counts of assault pistol roster violation. On Tuesday, Catrino was found not guilty on the unlawful sale or transfer of a regulated firearm count, but was found guilty on each of the four counts of assault pistol roster violation.
Catrino was sentenced to two years in jail with two years suspended. On one of the counts, he was sentenced to two years with all but one day suspended, and was then given credit for one day served. He was also placed on two years of supervised probation.
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