OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania man was arrested with a significant amount of marijuana in his possession this week after a routine traffic stop for a seatbelt violation in Ocean City.
Around 9 a.m. on Monday, an Ocean City Police officer on bike patrol in the downtown area stopped a vehicle in the area of St. Louis Ave. and Somerset Street for a seatbelt violation. The driver, later identified as Dion David Boyer, 46, of York, Pa., was found to be driving without a license and was arrested by OCPD officers.
OCPD officers searched Boyer and conducted an inventory of his vehicle, during which they located a large amount of marijuana, including a heat-sealed package weighing 1.1 pounds. In addition, officers found drug paraphernalia, over $1,000 in currency and assorted other items typically used for packaging and distributing drugs.
Ocean City Police charged Boyer with possession of marijuana of 10 grams or more, possession with intent to distribute, possession of paraphernalia and assorted traffic violations. He was taken before a District Court Commissioner and was ordered to be held in the Worcester County Jail on a $7,500 bond.
Shopping Center Fire
OCEAN CITY — A fire at a midtown shopping center in Ocean City on Monday reportedly originated in a laundromat.
Around 7 p.m. on Monday, heavy, acrid smoke began filling the businesses in the 28th Street plaza, forcing calm and orderly evacuations during the height of the dinner hour. The Ocean City Fire Department responded quickly and discovered the source of the smoke was smoldering laundry in a dryer unit within the shopping center.
Firefighters removed the burnt and smoking laundry, which included restaurant aprons and rags from an unknown source, and did a thorough check of the entire plaza to ensure the fire had not spread. Patrons in the various stores and restaurants in the shopping center were quickly vacated during the height of the evening. Several fire department units responded, snarling traffic for a brief time in the area on Coastal Highway. The extent of the smoke damage is not known at this time.
Speeder Nabbed With Weed
OCEAN CITY — An Annapolis man was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana last Saturday after getting pulled over for speeding on the Route 50 bridge.
Around 2:30 a.m. last Saturday, a Maryland State Police trooper was working stationary speeding assignment on the east side of the Route 50 bridge when he clocked a vehicle driven by Bradley Knopf, 19, of Annapolis going 54 mph in a 35 mph zone. The trooper pulled Knopf over in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven on N. Division Street. When the trooper approached the vehicle, he immediately smelled the strong odor of marijuana.
A probable cause search was conducted, revealing seven individual baggies containing marijuana. The combined weight of weed in the seven bags totaled over 35 grams. Knopf was arrested and charged with possession and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
Salisbury Man Pleads
Guilty To Bank Robbery
SALISBURY — A Salisbury man faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty last week to bank robbery following his arrest during an incident in March.
Gary Allen Mitchell, 42, of Salisbury, last week pleaded guilty to bank robbery. According to his plea agreement, Mitchell robbed the PNC Bank on Civic Ave. in Salisbury on March 21. He entered the bank and gave the teller a note stating he was robbing the bank and would harm the teller if she did not comply with his demands and that he had a gun.
Mitchell had his hand in his pocket as if he was carrying a gun. He told the teller not to pull the alarm, nor give him any marked money, dye packs or tracking devices. The teller then gave Mitchell $4,177 in cash, including a tracking device within a stack of $50 bills, as per bank policy. Mitchell then became angry, threw the money on the counter and told the teller he had instructed her not to do that. Police officers located Mitchell soon thereafter smoking crack cocaine shortly after the bank robbery and recovered the stolen money.
For Mitchell, last week’s guilty plea marks his third federal bank robbery conviction, including two now in Maryland and one in Delaware. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years. Sentencing has been set for November 15.
Jail For Texter In Stolen Car
BERLIN — An Easton man, arrested in July on multiple charges after Berlin Police first stopped him for texting while driving and later discovered he was driving a car reported stolen earlier in Salisbury, pleaded guilty last week to attempting to elude police and disturbing the peace and was sentenced to 14 days in jail.
Around 7:40 p.m. on July 12, Berlin Police observed a suspect later identified as Corey Fells, Sr. 27, of Easton texting while driving on Route 113 in the area of Deer Park Drive. After police stopped the vehicle, Fells fled on foot, but the Berlin Police officer was able to apprehend him with the help of two private citizens. The investigation revealed the vehicle Fells was driving was reported stolen in Salisbury a month earlier. Fells was also driving on a suspended license and was wanted on a warrant for violation of probation.
Last week, Fells pleaded guilty to attempting to elude police and was sentenced to 14 days in jail and fined $200. He was also found guilty of disturbing the peace, a charge for which his sentence was merged. The stolen vehicle count was not prosecuted.
Assault Arrest
SALISBURY — A Salisbury man was arrested on assault and other charges last weekend after first allegedly attacking a man on the street and then forcing his way into the victim’s residence to continue the assault.
Last Saturday, Wicomico County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Quincy Mitchell-Lake, 19, of Salisbury, on assault, burglary and trespassing charges following an alleged attack on the victim a day earlier. According the police report, Mitchell-Lake approached and attacked a victim outside a residence on Jersey Rd. and took him to the ground. The victim was able to get away and went into a nearby residence, but Mitchell-Lake allegedly forced his way into the residence and continued the assault.
The victim and other occupants were able to force Mitchell-Lake from the residence. Wicomico County Sheriff’s Deputies responded, but did not immediately locate the suspect. They obtained an arrest warrant for Mitchell-Lake and he was picked up the following day. He has been charged with second-degree assault, burglary and trespassing.