OCEAN CITY – A bizarre incident unfolded on the Boardwalk last week when a man reportedly rubbed his exposed penis on a woman’s buttocks without her permission and urinated on a retail store’s rack of clothes.
On June 5, around 5:50 p.m., Ocean City Police Officer Shawn Beach responded to an indecent exposure report in front of the Cool Topics store on the Boardwalk. Storeowner Nitzan Lougasi pointed out Jeffrey Mark Moten, 27, of Washington, D.C., and informed Beach he had observed Moten urinate on a rack of sweatshirts hanging in front of the merchant’s store. Beach investigated the sweatshirts, adorned with a Playboy bunny logo, and determined six of them were wet. They were valued at $111.94 in total.
When Beach approached the suspect, Moten became combative and began throwing punches, “similar to that of a person who was ‘shadow boxing,’” according to police reports. Moten began running south on the Boardwalk after being confronted by police. He was eventually apprehended after a short struggle.
After Moten was detained, police interviewed a woman who said Moten exposed himself to her and rubbed his bare penis against her shorts in the buttocks area. The victim’s male friend then stepped in and Moten shoved him once in the neck and again in the chest. The female told police she did not know Moten and did not give him permission to touch her in anyway, the police report said.
Moten was charged with three counts of second degree assault, a fourth degree sex offense, two counts of indecent exposure, malicious destruction of property over $500, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Sexual Assault Probe
BERLIN – Authorities are investigating an alleged sexual assault of a minor in Berlin and are seeking the public’s help with information.
On June 7, Berlin Police officers responded to a N. Main Street residence in Berlin for a reported sexual assault. A subsequent investigation revealed Jeremy Kindquist, 17, of Snow Hill, allegedly sexually assaulted a 6-year-old girl. He was placed under arrest and transported to the Berlin Police Department. He was charged as an adult and initially held at the Worcester County Jail on a $30,000 bond.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to contact the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation at 410-352-3476 or the Berlin Police Department at 410-641-1333.
Pines Employee Charged
BERLIN – As the result of an internal financial audit conducted by the Ocean Pines Public Works Department, a member of the Compliance, Permits and Inspections Department was charged with a series of internal thefts. Lea Loraine Stinebiser, 34, of Ocean Pines, was charged by Ocean Pines Police with felony theft exceeding $500 and felony theft scheme exceeding $500. A total of eight separate thefts totaling $1,090 were uncovered.
A District Court Commissioner has issued a criminal summons to appear in court for Stinebiser. No court date has been set as of yet. She has been suspended without pay by the Ocean Pines Association.
Brawlers In Court
OCEAN CITY – Several of the defendants who were allegedly involved in a fight at a mid-town night club last month that involved several hundred people and left four police officers injured, appeared in District Court this week to face a variety of charges.
According to police reports, Ocean City Police were called en masse to the parking lot of Seacrets on 49th Street for a large fight in progress on May 4, just after 2 a.m. When they arrived on the scene, local law enforcement officers observed several hundred people involved in the large altercation.
More than 23 officers from the OCPD, including three K-9 teams, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and the Maryland State Police were called in to help disburse the crowd. The team of local law enforcement officers was joined by Seacrets security personnel as well. During the large incident, an OCPD K-9 handler was assaulted by one of the suspects and a K-9 dog bit one of the combative, resistant suspects.
Four officers received minor injuries during the incident and three suspects were transported by Ocean City EMS to AGH where they were treated for minor injuries and released. When the dust settled, 10 arrests were made for a wide variety of offenses from assault to failure to obey a lawful order and from obstructing and hindering to resisting arrest.
Kimberly Duffy, 21, of Berlin, who was charged with attempted murder in the stabbing of her boyfriend in Ocean City in 2006, was charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing and hindering. She pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct this week in District Court.
According to police reports, officers arrived on the scene to control the 500 plus people that had gathered around the fight, which had grown to a mass of 300 people involved. Duffy reportedly tried to pull Bruce Planter, 25, of Berlin, away from police officers as he was being arrested. Planter was ultimately charged with two counts of second-degree assault on a police officer, malicious destruction of property, possession of cocaine and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and failure to obey a lawful police order. Police were forced to pepper spray Duffy to control her before placing her under arrest.
Duffy’s attorney argued that she was never pepper sprayed, adding that she was simply trying to help Planter off the ground. Duffy was found guilty of disorderly conduct and fined $357.50.
Brontya M. Salter, 21, of Salisbury, pleaded guilty to failure to obey. Officer Sara Dorsey testified that on the night of the incident, she advised Salter to leave the area several times over a period of 25 minutes in an effort to secure the scene. After refusing to do so, Salter was placed under arrest. Salter was found guilty and sentenced to probation before judgment with a $257.50 fine.
Byron Briddell, 21, of Berlin, Tikishia Briddell, 23, of Berlin, Sheena Handy, 24, of Selbyville, Tanisha Baine, 25, of Berlin, and Glenn White, 21 of Berlin, were also present in District Court Monday for the incident. Byron Briddell’s case was not prosecuted, due to the absence of witnesses. The remaining cases were postponed until July 25.
Guilty Sentence For Forged Documents
OCEAN CITY – A Selbyville woman appeared in District Court this week to face charges of possession of forged documents, pleading guilty to the offense.
According to police reports, on Feb. 26, Detective Shawn Jones was investigating counterfeit checks passed at the 94th Street Taylor Bank when he found photographic evidence connecting Chavon R. Bailey, 21, and an accomplice, with the counterfeit checks. Bailey’s accomplice allegedly stole the checks from the victim and later had Bailey pass the check at Taylor Bank, a check in the amount of $950.
Bailey’s attorney explained that Bailey’s mother is currently battling lung cancer, which was becoming very costly. As a result, Bailey became involved in the theft scheme.
Bailey was found guilty this week and sentenced to 90 days to the county jail with all 90 days suspended. She was also sentenced to one year of supervised probation and ordered to pay $950 in restitution.
Trash Can Bandit Found Guilty
OCEAN CITY – Joseph Jude Ferrante, 23, pleaded guilty to malicious destruction of property this week in District Court for a May incident involving damage to several trashcans.
According to police reports, on May 4, police officers were dispatched to the area of 48th Street in response to several disorderly subjects who were allegedly throwing trashcans into Coastal Highway. Witnesses observed the suspects, which included Ferrante, throwing the metal cans into the street, causing damage to the trashcans and causing trash to spill into the streets.
Ferrante was found guilty of the offense and sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation with a $357.50 fine.
Domestic Dispute Ends With Guilty Sentence
OCEAN CITY – Lindsay McKinley, 26, of Cumberland, Md., pleaded not guilty to second-degree assault and malicious destruction of property this week in District Court, but was found guilty of both offenses after essentially admitting to the charges while testifying.
According to the victim, on March 19, the pair, who had been dating for several months, were at an uptown bar when McKinley became involved in an altercation with another individual. McKinley became upset and as a result, the two decided to leave and return to their apartment on 28th Street.
As the victim was driving McKinley home, she reportedly began hitting him repeatedly, which continued once they were inside their apartment. Photos of the victims’ black eyes were presented as evidence.
McKinley also bit the victim’s arm as he attempted to call the police.
The victim testified that McKinley was asked to leave the apartment within 24 hours, but when he returned, all of his belongings were gone.
McKinley told a different story while on the stand, claiming that the victim hit himself repeatedly and continually smashed his head into the wall. She admitted to biting him, but claimed it was in an attempt to take his keys away, as he was drunk and out of control. She also admitted to throwing some of his belongings away, but claimed she informed him before doing so.
Despite the he-said-she-said version of the events, Judge Daniel Mumford pointed out that McKinley admitted to both biting the victim and throwing away his belongings, finding her guilty of both second-degree assault and malicious destruction of property. McKinley was sentenced to probation before judgment with one year of unsupervised probation and a $357.50 fine.
Suspended Sentence In Counterfeit Goods Case
SNOW HILL – A New York man arrested in November in Worcester County after a routine traffic stop led to the discovery of thousands of dollars worth of pirated music CDs and DVDs, counterfeit shoes, handbags and marijuana pleaded guilty this week in Circuit Court to possession of marijuana and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, all of which was suspended in favor of probation and fines.
Around 8:45 a.m. on Nov. 17, a Maryland State Police trooper from the Berlin barrack stopped a vehicle bearing New York tags on Route 13 near Pocomoke for various traffic violations. The sole occupant of the vehicle, later identified as Willie A. Mitchell, 31, of Brooklyn, N.Y. was found to be driving on a suspended and revoked privilege in N.Y. During the interaction, the trooper noticed the strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and a probable cause search revealed nearly five grams of pot in the vehicle.
Also located in the vehicle were 262 pirated music CDs, 321 pirated movie DVDs, 31 pairs of counterfeit Nike shoes, three pairs of counterfeit Timberland boots and several counterfeit handbags bearing Dooney and Bourke, Gucci and Coach logos. Mitchell was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, felony possession of trademarked counterfeit goods and misdemeanor possession of trademarked counterfeit goods.
Last week in Circuit Court, Mitchell pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana and driving on suspended out-of-state license and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, all of which was suspended. He was placed on probation for a year and fined $350.
However, Mitchell might not be out of trouble yet. Representatives from the Recording Industry Association of America, the Motion Picture Association of America and the affected clothing companies have been contacted for further information.
Local Man Pleads Guilty To Possession Charges
OCEAN CITY – James Edward Jamison, 38, of Whaleyville, Md., was found guilty of possession of crack cocaine last week in District Court, after pleading guilty to the offense.
On Jan. 12, 2007, at approximately 5:30 p.m., Ocean City Police officers executed a search and seizure warrant on a residence at the Buckingham Hotel. A search of Jamison revealed a silver pipe, hidden in his shoe, which contained the residue of what was later proven to be crack cocaine.
Jamison was sentenced to one year in jail with all but 42 days of the sentence suspended and credit for time served for the remaining 42 days. Jamison was also sentenced to two years of supervised probation.
Cyber Theft Case Moves Forward To Circuit Court
OCEAN CITY – One of the two men accused of taking part in a theft scheme throughout town that involved researching their targets via computer appeared in District Court this week, facing a variety of theft, burglary and malicious destruction of property charges.
Nathan Christopher Scheufele, 22, of Dundalk, Md., faced three related preliminary hearings this week in District Court, all of which tie Scheufele to a theft scheme that allegedly occurred throughout the town this past winter.
In early April, OCPD detectives were investigating multiple burglaries that had been carried out in the resort area since early January when they began to notice striking similarities in most of the cases. Flat-screen televisions had been the target in most of the burglaries, leading detectives to believe the cases were related. Detectives also learned that almost all of the properties burglarized were rental units listed on a real estate web page that provided a “virtual tour” of the property.
Detectives Todd Speigle testified that four televisions were stolen from a Wicomico Street condominium unit, totaling $2,548.98 in value. Several other units in town were burglarized as well, including five units in a 56th Street building, in which TV’s went missing from each unit, totaling $5,050 in missing items.
Speigle testified that during his investigation he began searching craigslist.com in an effort to locate the televisions and a possible suspect. Through the investigation, detectives were led to the residence of Allen Dale Garman, 34, who is Scheufele’s roommate. After speaking with Garman’s girlfriend, the detective learned that similar televisions had been at the residence and that the pair had made frequent trips to Ocean City. Speigle testified that after interrogation Garman eventually admitted to his role in the burglaries as well as Scheufele’s role.
Detective James Rodriguez also provided testimony to the events, telling the court that Scheufele also admitted his involvement after being questioned on April 30.
After hearing the evidence presented by the state, probable cause was found to forward the case to circuit court. Scheufele faces nine counts of first-degree burglary, nine counts of theft over $500 and seven counts of malicious destruction of property.
Confession Not Enough In ’05 Burglary Case
SNOW HILL – A Frankford, Del. man who in a jailhouse confession last year admitted breaking into an Ocean City condo in December 2005 had the charges against him dropped in Worcester County Circuit Court last week.
Zachary Evan Hammond, 22, of Frankford, was in Circuit Court last week facing first-, third-, and fourth-degree burglary, malicious destruction of property and theft charges from an incident in Ocean City dating back to December 2005. On Dec. 9, 2005, OCPD detectives responded to a condo unit on 76th Street for a reported burglary. Two televisions valued at over $2,500 and a variety of other items were reported missing.
According to police reports, it appeared a fire extinguisher had been used to break through the drywall to gain entrance to the unit in question. In September 2007, an OCPD detective went to the Sussex Correctional Institute in Delaware to question a potential suspect in the case being jailed there and was informed by source that the suspect and Hammond had bragged about stealing the televisions and other property from the unit in Ocean City in December 2005.
When questioned about it, Hammond admitted to the OCPD detective he had broken into the unit in question and stolen the televisions and other goods. A warrant was sworn out for his arrest and he was eventually brought to trial in Worcester County last week. However, the charges against him for the 2005 break-in in Ocean City were dropped.
Home Invader Convicted
SNOW HILL – A Willards man arrested on burglary and weapons charges in February after Maryland State Police captured him as an armed intruder at a residence in Whaleyville pleaded guilty last week in Worcester County Circuit Court to first-degree burglary and now awaits his fate pending the outcome of a pre-sentence investigation.
Tyrone Torrell Camper, 18, of Willards, last week appeared in Circuit Court facing a wide range of charges after getting arrested breaking into a residence in Willards in February. A pre-sentence investigation was ordered and Camper now waits to learn just how long he will camp in jail. The burglary charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail.
Around 8:40 p.m. on Feb. 26, MSP troopers from the Berlin barrack responded to a call for a burglary in progress. The victim arrived at his residence and observed a stranger inside his home and called 911. As the troopers were responding, the Berlin barrack dispatcher kept the victim on the telephone and the victim was able to advise police that the intruder in his home was carrying a handgun.
When the troopers arrived, they observed the burglar, later identified as Camper, inside the residence with the gun. Camper was arrested without further incident. During the arrest, officers found an unloaded gun in his possession. Numerous stolen items were then found on Camper’s person while he was being taken into custody.
The investigation revealed Camper entered the residence through a rear door. Throughout the incident, the MSP officers were assisted by a Berlin Police Department K-9 unit, the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation and the County Sheriff’s Office. Camper was charged with first-, third-, and fourth-degree burglary, possession of a handgun dring the commission of a felony/crime of violence, and possession of marijuana.