Arrests Made in Lexington Park Reckless Endangerment Investigation

 

Pernell Maddox 

Jan. 26, 2023 update:

Detectives with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division (CID) executed a series of search and seizure warrants, with the assistance of the agency’s Emergency Services Team. As a result, investigators located a loaded Cobray MK-11 assault pistol as well as a loaded Taurus G2C semi-automatic handgun, which are suspected of being utilized during the incident. These seizures resulted in the arrest of an 18-year-old male and 14-year-old male on multiple firearms-related charges.

Pernell NMN Maddox, age 18 of Lexington Park, was charged with Handgun in Vehicle; Loaded Handgun in Vehicle; Handgun on Person; Loaded Handgun on Person; Reckless Endangerment and Possession of a Firearm by a Minor.

A 14-year-old male from Lexington Park was also referred to the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services for their illegal possession of the aforementioned firearms during the incident. 

Additionally, Maddox was served an outstanding warrant for his arrest, stemming from an unrelated incident wherein he has been charged with Armed Robbery; Robbery; Second-Degree Assault and Theft: Less than $100 by warrant from an incident in November in Lexington Park.

 

Original Release: 

On Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, at 8:19 pm, a St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Deputy reported hearing shots fired in the area of Hancock Road in Lexington Park, as well as multiple witnesses who reported shots being fired in the area. Upon investigation, multiple shell casings were located in the roadway of Hancock Road, and a residence on Midway Drive was struck by a projectile, but there were no reported injuries from the incident.

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division responded and continued the investigation.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Cpl. Austin Schultz at 301-475-4200, ext. 71953 or email austin.schultz@stmaryscountymd.gov.

Citizens may remain anonymous and contact Crime Solvers at 301-475-3333, or text a tip to “TIP239” plus their message to “CRIMES” (274637). Through the Crime Solvers Program tipsters are eligible for an award of up to $1,000 for information about a crime in St. Mary’s County that leads to an arrest or indictment.

Download and Share the St. Mary's Sheriff's Office mobile app: https://apps.myocv.com/share/a48820650

Meet Deputy Recruit Bianca Melton

 

Becoming a law enforcement officer is a serious commitment and requires lengthy training at the Southern Maryland Criminal Justice Academy, followed by more months of field training.

Deputy Recruit Bianca Melton, age 21, said she is eager to join the training academy to continue her career in law enforcement with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office.

Born in San Diego to parents in the Navy, Naval Air Station Patuxent River brought her family to St. Mary’s County. Following high school, Melton worked at the St. Mary’s County Emergency Communications Center as a dispatcher for more than two years, taking and issuing calls to emergency responders.

She joined the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy recruit in September, first working at the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center, including duties in the main control room.

“Being hired by the Sheriff’s Office has been the biggest accomplishment I’ve achieved in my life so far,” she said. “It was a long nerve-wracking process that proved to be worth it in the end.”

Melton is now working at the Sheriff’s Office Headquarters, assisting the Property Unit and Police Services Unit. “It’s basically wherever you can assist,” she said of her current duties, while she waits to join the next academy class in March.

“I’m ready to go,” she said. The training session for deputies lasts for seven months and a deputy recruit must be at least 20 years and six months old to enter.

Once graduated from the academy, new deputies join the Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division, accompanied by Field Training Officers for an average of three to four months over the course of four phases.

Melton said she looks forward to several years of working in Patrol, but said she is also interested in becoming a detective with the Criminal Investigations Division at some point in the future. “I want to be able to move around and get a taste of everything,” she said of working in the agency.

“I encourage anyone who is even thinking about applying to just do it. Be the change you want to see and encourage others to do the same,” she advised.

Melton is joined by two other deputy recruits with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office – Shanna Peters and Cody Donaldson, among other recruits with the Calvert and Charles counties sheriff’s offices who are next to enter the academy in March.

Melton just bought a home of her own in St. Mary’s, “so I’m not going anywhere,” she said.

For more information about careers with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, visit firstsheriff.com or the St. Mary’s Sheriff’s App.

 

 

 

 

Lexington Park Pair Arrested for Intent to Distribute Narcotics

Amber Nicole Queen 

Barry Nathaniel Booker 

 

A traffic stop Tuesday morning by St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office deputies resulted in several Controlled Dangerous Substance charges including Possession with Intent to Distribute Narcotics for a Lexington Park man and woman.

Amber Nicole Queen, age 28 of Lexington Park, and Barry Nathaniel Booker, age 61 of Lexington Park, were both charged with six counts of CDS Possession: Not Cannabis; CDS Possession Paraphernalia and CDS Possession with Intent to Distribute Narcotics. Queen was also charged with Possession of Contraband in Place of Confinement.

On Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, Deputy First Class Tyler Westphal was traveling southbound on Three Notch Road near North Shangri-La Drive in Lexington Park when he observed a 2007 Chrysler 300 with equipment violations. DFC Westphal conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and Booker was identified as the vehicle operator while Queen was the front seat passenger. A K-9 responded to the scene and scanned the vehicle, resulting in a positive alert.

A search of the vehicle was conducted, which located a $5 bill that contained a white powdery substance, believed to be crack cocaine, and a small plastic baggie containing Oxycodone tablets. Inside of the vehicle’s trunk was a shoulder bag containing a large number of narcotics, along with a digital scale and other packaging material indicative of narcotics distribution. Also contained in the bag were two baggies of more suspected crack cocaine, one weighing 21.8 grams and the other 3.2 grams. There were also numerous pill bottles located, with individually wrapped bags of CDS.

One bottle contained a large bag of suspected heroin. Other bottles contained a quantity of Oxycodone tablets and 27 separate suboxone strips were also located in the same bag with other CDS. A quantity of Dextroamphetamine tablets was also located in a pill bottle in the same bag along with a scale and numerous empty clear bags.

Also seized was a large quantity of US currency.

On Queen’s person, a small baggie with a white powdery substance and a hard white powder substance was located. Transported to the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center in Leonardtown by Deputy Taylor-Lynn Kril, Queen was searched and was found to have concealed a straw and clear baggie with white residue.

Both Queen and Booker are being held at the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center.

Seized evidence 

Reckless Endangerment in Lexington Park Under Investigation

 

On Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, at 8:19 pm, a St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Deputy reported hearing shots fired in the area of Hancock Road in Lexington Park, as well as multiple witnesses who reported shots being fired in the area. Upon investigation, multiple shell casings were located in the roadway of Hancock Road, and a residence on Midway Drive was struck by a projectile, but there were no reported injuries from the incident.

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division responded and continued the investigation.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Cpl. Austin Schultz at 301-475-4200, ext. 71953 or email austin.schultz@stmaryscountymd.gov.

Citizens may remain anonymous and contact Crime Solvers at 301-475-3333, or text a tip to “TIP239” plus their message to “CRIMES” (274637). Through the Crime Solvers Program tipsters are eligible for an award of up to $1,000 for information about a crime in St. Mary’s County that leads to an arrest or indictment.

Download and Share the St. Mary's Sheriff's Office mobile app: https://apps.myocv.com/share/a48820650

Marbury Man Arrested for Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Cocaine and Oxycodone

 

Trayvon Donfin Richardson 

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office arrested and charged a 36-year-old Marbury man with several Controlled Dangerous Substance and Intent to Distribute charges on Thursday.

Following a traffic stop and a search of the vehicle, Trayvon Donfin Richardson was charged with three counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute and three counts of CDS Possession: Not Marijuana.

On Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, Sgt. Christopher Beyer conducted a vehicle stop in the area of 18700 Three Notch Road in Mechanicsville for a circuit court search and seizure warrant. A search of the vehicle, occupied by Richardson, located a black digital scale with suspected cocaine residue, along with a large amount of cash on Richardon’s person.

Arriving at the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center in Leonardtown, Deputy Casey Hill located a twisted plastic bag on Richardson’s person that contained more than three grams of cocaine, approximately one gram of Fentanyl and 21 10 milligram Oxycodone pills.

An additional circuit court warrant was executed at Richardson’s residence at the 28200 block of Mechanicsville Road. Recovered in the search was unused packaging material and an additional digital scale with CDS residue on the weighing surface.

Richardson remains incarcerated at the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center pending a bond hearing.

Identity Needed for Property Destruction Suspect

 

Feb. 20, 2023 update: The suspect has been identified and charged with Malicious Destruction of Property under $1,000. 

The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office is seeking the identity of the female pictured in a property destruction investigation. On Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, at 7 pm, the pictured suspect would not provide proper identification to purchase alcohol at the St. Mary's Fine Wine and Spirits in Great Mills. Denied the purchase, the suspect then knocked over a case of beer when exiting the store, breaking the merchandise. 

Anyone with information about the identity of the suspect or this incident is asked to call Deputy Alexander Tasciotti at 301-475-4200, ext. 78163 or email alexander.tasciotti@stmaryscountymd.gov. Case # 65491-22 

Citizens may remain anonymous and contact Crime Solvers at 301-475-3333, or text a tip to “TIP239” plus their message to “CRIMES” (274637). Through the Crime Solvers Program tipsters are eligible for an award of up to $1,000 for information about a crime in St. Mary’s County that leads to an arrest or indictment. 

Fingerprinting Services Available at Sheriff's Office Headquarters

 

Fingerprinting services are available at the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office Headquarters at 23150 Leonard Hall Drive in Leonardtown. The service is no longer at the District 3 Station in California. To make an appointment by phone, call 301-475-4200, ext. 78046, or make an appointment online at https://firstsheriff.simplybook.me/v2/  

For more information, visit our website at https://www.firstsheriff.com/divisions/criminal-investigations/fingerprinting/default 

Identity Needed for Counterfeit Suspect

 

The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office is seeking the identity of the person pictured in a counterfeit investigation. On Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, at 11:10 am, the suspect passed a counterfeit $100 bill at the Optimal Vapor store in Lexington Park. The suspect received merchandise and cash back from the counterfeit bill. 

Anyone with information about the identity of the suspect or this incident is asked to call Deputy David Katulich at 301-475-4200, ext. 78164 or email david.katulich@stmaryscountymd.gov. Case # 64366-22 

Citizens may remain anonymous and contact Crime Solvers at 301-475-3333, or text a tip to “TIP239” plus their message to “CRIMES” (274637). Through the Crime Solvers Program tipsters are eligible for an award of up to $1,000 for information about a crime in St. Mary’s County that leads to an arrest or indictment.

Traffic Stop Yields Warrant Arrest for Firearm Charges

 

Charles Henry Thompson Jr. 

St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office Patrol deputies made a traffic stop this week resulting in the arrest of a Lexington Park man wanted on a warrant for firearm charges. 

On Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, Deputy Casey Hill was operating radar at the intersection of Pegg Road and Westbury Boulevard in Lexington Park when he observed a black 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander that appeared to operating faster than the posted speed limit. Deputy Hill informed Deputy Devin Absher of the vehicle's speed and a traffic stop was initiated. 

It was determined the operator, Charles Henry Thompson Jr., age 29 of Lexington Park, was wanted on an active warrant for Second-Degree Assault, Firearm Possession with a Felony Conviction, Reckless Endangerment and Loaded Handgun on Person from an incident on Dec. 29, 2022 at the 46700 block of Marshall Boulevard in Lexington Park. 

Thompson was taken into custody by deputies and in a search of the vehicle, cocaine in the form of two solid rocks, also known as crack, were located in the vehicle. Thompson was also charged with CDS Possession: Cocaine. 

Thompson was transported to the St. Mary's County Detention and Rehabilitation Center in Leonardtown where he remains in custody pending a bond hearing on Jan. 12.  

Identity Needed for Theft Suspects

 

The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office is seeking the identities of the two men pictured in a theft investigation. On Friday, Dec. 9, 2022, at 4 pm, the two suspects entered the Dollar General in Leonardtown. One suspect brought items to the register, including a large number of gift cards, while the other stood nearby to distract the cashier. The first suspect then obtained goods by manipulating the register while the second suspect intentionally distracted the cashier. 

The two suspects used the same tactics on the same day at 9:15 am at the Dollar General store on Great Mills Road in Lexington Park. 

Anyone with information about the identities of the suspects or this incident is asked to call Deputy James Morgan at 301-475-4200, ext. 78170 or email james.morgan@stmaryscountymd.gov. Case # 65969-22. Or call Deputy Christopher Truss at 301-475-4200, ext. 78039 or email christopher.truss@stmaryscountymd.gov. Case # 66092-22 

Citizens may remain anonymous and contact Crime Solvers at 301-475-3333, or text a tip to “TIP239” plus their message to “CRIMES” (274637). Through the Crime Solvers Program tipsters are eligible for an award of up to $1,000 for information about a crime in St. Mary’s County that leads to an arrest or indictment.