Woman allegedly steals check from mail, forges new amount
On Sept. 23, 2023, officers were contacted for the alleged theft of a check from a construction office’s mailbox at 12615B Crain Highway in Newburg. After interviewing the manager, officers obtained surveillance footage of a white Honda Civic allegedly driving up to the mailbox and removing items from it, charging documents say.
The Honda was then observed leaving southbound on Route 301, headed toward Virginia. The manager informed officers that the original value of the check was $150 and was for the renewal of his blasting license, the documents say.
It was later discovered that the value of the check was allegedly altered to $35,500 and was made payable to Brittany Wells, 32, of Fayetteville, N.C.
Officers obtained a subpoena for the EZ Pass toll record, video from toll booths, account holders and transactional information on the account the check was deposited to from the Charles County State’s Attorney, the documents say.
On Dec. 21, 2023, officers found that the money was allegedly dispersed through multiple accounts on CashApp, according to charging documents. Officers found Wells’ name as the account holder and were able to obtain an address, match her to the video footage and find prior charges from the Fayetteville Police Department.
On April 4, Wells was charged with felony theft and forgery.
Officers find large amount of drugs serving search warrant
Officers obtained a search warrant last week authorizing the search of an apartment on October Place in Waldorf and Tony Edward Curtis, 30, the resident of the home.
Around 2 p.m. on April 3, officers made entry to the home and located Curtis who was allegedly standing in a corner of a bedroom with a black handgun, attempting to hide it in a vent, charging documents say.
Officers took Curtis into custody and were able to recover a Smith and Wesson 9 mm in the area of the vent, and they learned that the gun was confirmed to be stolen out of Atlanta, the documents say.
After seeing large bulges in both of Curtis’ pockets, officers searched him and allegedly found one bag of suspected crack cocaine and $676 in cash on his person.
Upon further searching the room officers allegedly found a 7.6-gram bag of N,N-Dimethylpentylone, a 4.9-gram bag of suspected fentanyl, digital scales with white powder residue, 10 Oxycodone pills and additional suspected crack cocaine, according to charging documents.
The bag of suspected crack cocaine weighed 18.5 grams, the documents say.
Curtis is charged with felony distribution with a firearm, four counts of misdemeanor possession, four counts of felony possession with intent to distribute, felony possession of production equipment and various gun charges.
Man allegedly steals golf club set
On April 4, officers responded to a theft at the Dick’s sporting goods store located at Mall Circle in Waldorf.
Upon arrival, contact was made with an assistant store manager who said he observed an older male wearing a green long-sleeve shirt, brown jacket and khaki pants inside the store. He recognized the man from a previous theft committed on March 30, according to charging documents.
After the defendant exited the store, the assistant manager went to the golf section and noticed numerous golf clubs were missing from the display area, totaling approximately $1,200, charging documents say.
The suspect allegedly fled the mall in an orange Chrysler 300 that officers were able to locate later that afternoon. A vehicle stop was initiated and Jason Stevenson, 63, of Hyattsville was identified as the driver, the documents say.
Stevenson consented to opening the trunk of his vehicle, where officers allegedly located the stolen golf clubs. Officers placed Stevenson under arrest and located a security disabling skimmer on his person.
Stevenson was charged with felony theft between $1,500 and $25,000, a misdemeanor theft charge, destruction of property and a felony theft scheme.
Woman allegedly assaults her wife
On April 7, officers were dispatched to Giles Place in Waldorf for the report of domestic assault.
Officers located the wife of Latonya Meadows, 34, fleeing the residence headed toward the Charles County Sheriff’s Office District 3 Station, according to charging documents.
The wife was distraught and breathing heavily with her shirt torn at the neck. While officers talked to her, she was picking out hair that was torn from her head, charging documents say.
According to the woman, Meadows attacked her while she was lying on their bed. Meadows allegedly jumped on top of the woman, pulled hair from her scalp and repeatedly punched her, the documents say. The wife attempted to defend herself.
Officers met Meadows at her residence, and she allegedly did not provide a statement on the assault.
Meadows was placed under arrest and transported to the Charles County Detention Center. She was charged with first- and second-degree assault.
MATT WYNN
Drug bust made
On April 2, deputies from the St. Mary’s sheriff’s office patrol division and criminal investigations division executed a search warrant on Kevin Jason Copsey, 39, of Mechanicsville. Significant quantities of suspected fentanyl and suspected cocaine were recovered during the operation.
According to a sheriff’s office press release, the warrant was executed in Charlotte Hall following a traffic stop for an equipment violation.
During the traffic stop, K9 Maja positively alerted to the presence of a controlled dangerous substance, and the subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered a plastic bag containing 197 suspected fentanyl capsules and 25 vials of suspected cocaine.
Copsey was also found to have a capsule of fentanyl in his possession.
Copsey was arrested and transported to the detention center and charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl/heroin mixture, possession of large amount of drugs and related charges.
According to court records, he is being held without bond. A district court hearing on the charges Copsey is facing is scheduled for May 7.
Pair nabbed for drugs, possession of a knife
On April 2 during proactive traffic patrol in Lexington Park, Deputy Travis Wimberly of the St. Mary’s sheriff’s office witnessed a Ford Escape fail to stop before entering a crosswalk at the intersection of Midway Drive and Great Mills Road and initiated a traffic stop.
The vehicle driver initially provided a false name but was later identified as Lakesha Denise Savoy, 37, of Lexington Park.
Wimberly observed suspected drug paraphernalia, and a K9 scan of the vehicle revealed amounts of suspected fentanyl, suspected heroin, suspected crack cocaine, suspected Suboxone strips, cash and several cell phones.
According to a sheriff’s office press release, it was learned Savoy was also wanted on an open warrant on drug charges.
The vehicle’s passenger, identified as Turez Lydell Creek, 35, of no fixed address, was carrying a machete, the sheriff’s report stated. Creek was arrested on a concealed dangerous weapon charge.
Savoy and Creek were transported to the detention center. During the intake process at the detention center, additional narcotics were found on Savoy and additional charges for possession of contraband in a place of confinement were made.
Later that day, Savoy posted $3,500 and was released. Creek was released after posting $500. A district court hearing on the charges the two are facing is scheduled for May 16.
State trooper arrests Waldorf man on handgun charges
On March 31, Trooper R. Ruel of the Maryland State Police Leonardtown barrack conducted a traffic stop on Route 5 at Budds Creek Road in Leonardtown. Investigation revealed that the driver of the vehicle, identified as Johnathan Omar Nelson, 40, of Waldorf, was driving while under the influence and was arrested.
According to a Maryland State Police report, a search of the vehicle revealed a handgun along with a loaded magazine.
Nelson was taken to the detention center where he was charged with having a handgun on person and handgun in vehicle. He was also cited for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while impaired by alcohol, driving while license is revoked and suspended, and violation of an alcohol restriction.
Nelson was later released on his own recognizance. A district court hearing on the charges he is facing is scheduled for May 2.
Robbery suspect nabbed
On April 3, St. Mary’s sheriff’s office deputies responded to a report of a theft in Lexington Park at approximately 3:30 p.m.
When Deputy Santiago Estrada arrived, a woman at the scene stated a male acquaintance approached her while she was in her vehicle in the parking lot of a business. The man forcefully removed the victim’s property from her hand before fleeing the area.
At about 8:50 p.m. while investigating a separate motor vehicle collision, Deputy Brandon Reynolds arrested Derin Roberto Perez Perez, 22, of Lexington Park on an open warrant for failing to appear.
According to a sheriff’s office press release, through witness identification and recovered evidence, Perez Perez was identified as the suspect in the earlier robbery.
Perez Perez was transported to the county detention center. He was charged with robbery, second-degree assault and misdemeanor theft.
Perez Perez was released April 4 after posting $5,000 bond. A district court hearing date on the charges is pending.
MARTY MADDEN
St. Leonard man charged with assault
On March 26, Deputy Sean Hendrickson of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the Parkers Creek Spur area of Port Republic to conduct a welfare check.
According to court documents, a witness told authorities there was a man running through the neighborhood without a shirt on who appeared to be under the influence of a drug.
Hendrickson wrote in court papers that he located the running, shirtless man who “had scars all over his body. He was bleeding,” and the marks were “indicative of a struggle.”
The man said he was assaulted by George Frederick Gerlach, 63, of St. Leonard, according to the charging documents. He alleged Gerlach had swung a knife at him.
Hendrickson stated in charging papers that he located Gerlach, who appeared to be under the influence of a “narcotic analgesic.” He denied picking up a knife and assaulting his accuser.
Gerlach was charged with first-degree assault and second-degree assault.
On March 27, Gerlach posted $10,000 bond and was released. A district court hearing on the charges Gerlach is facing is scheduled for April 26.
Huntingtown man faces burglary charges
Sometime after midnight April 2, Trooper A. Smith of the Maryland State Police Prince Frederick Barrack was dispatched to a residence on Sixes Road in Prince Frederick for the report of a possible burglary.
According to court documents, the homeowner told Smith when he returned to his house he saw a bicycle in the driveway that didn’t belong to him. Then he saw someone trying to break into a shed on the premises.
The homeowner called 911. With the aid of Deputy Timothy Rzepkowski of the Calvert sheriff’s office, Smith found the alleged perpetrator hiding in nearby bushes.
The man, identified as Jason Fessette, 43, of Huntingtown, had in his possession a screwdriver and a pair of pliers. Smith stated in court papers Fessette allegedly broke into two sheds on the property.
Fessette was charged with second-degree burglary, fourth-degree burglary and two counts of trespassing.
On April 3, Fessette posted $10,000 bond and was released. A district court hearing is scheduled for May 2.
Lusby woman charged with assaults
On April 2, Deputy Cody Shoemaker of the Calvert sheriff’s office was sent to a marina in St. Leonard for the report of assaults. A man and a woman claimed they were assaulted by a 22-year-old Lusby woman. The accused was identified as Makayla Brianna Boulais.
The incident, the accusers said, happened at a boat docked at the marina.
Boulais’ female accuser claimed she was punched and had her hair pulled, Shoemaker wrote in court papers, adding that the woman “had visible signs of injury.”
Shoemaker stated the defendant’s male accuser “had a busted lip, facial scratches and a knot on his left foot.”
The accusers also reported Boulais destroyed a cellphone and a drinking glass.
The deputy later spoke with Boulais, who told him she was defending herself.
The following day Boulais was charged with two counts each of second-degree assault and malicious destruction of property. A court summons was issued for the defendant and a district court hearing on the charges is scheduled for June 3.
Work van vandalized
On March 29, Deputy Dara Baxter of the Calvert sheriff’s office responded to Bunky’s Charter Boats in Solomons for the report of damaged property.
Contact was made with the complainant who advised that the windows to the victim’s work van had been busted out and multiple dents were observed on the vehicle, which were not present before. The estimated value of damaged property is $7,500.
Anyone with information that could aid investigators should call the sheriff’s office at 410-535-2800.
MARTY MADDEN
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