BERLIN — The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office this week is looking for a repeat sex offender who was released from jail earlier this month but has absconded and not re-registered with a new address.
The Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday announced they had obtained an arrest warrant for Delmar James Cubbage, 22, for failing to register as a convicted sex offender. Cubbage was released from the Worcester County Detention Center on May 2 after serving a nearly year-long sentence for failing to register as a sex offender and violation of probation. Since his release, Cubbage has absconded and moved to a unknown location. Cubbage was originally convicted of fourth-degree sex offense in July 2010 and has two prior convictions for failing to register as a sex offender.
Attempted Murder Charge
SALISBURY — A Salisbury man shot by a Maryland State Police trooper early last Tuesday morning after fleeing the scene of a drunk-driving traffic stop with the officer hanging out of his vehicle’s window was formally charged this week with attempted first-degree murder and other counts.
Around 1:30 a.m. last Tuesday, a Maryland State Police trooper was patrolling in a marked vehicle in the area of Johnson Rd. in Wicomico County when he observed a vehicle that was speeding and had a tag light out. As the trooper moved behind the vehicle, he saw the Honda passenger car swerve and almost hit a telephone pole. The trooper eventually stopped the Honda on Johnson Rd. near Nevins Place and made contact with the driver, later identified as Harry Wyatt-Swift, 23, of Salisbury.
The trooper detected an odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle and initiated a DUI investigation. The trooper had Wyatt-Swift get out of the vehicle, but when the officer began to demonstrate a field sobriety test, the suspect ran back to his car in an attempt to flee the scene. Trooper-First Class Richard Keidel, a five-year veteran, reached into the car in an attempt to take the keys.
However, Wyatt-Swift then grabbed the officer’s arm and drove off with the trooper hanging out of the driver’s side window. Keidel repeatedly told Wyatt-Swift to stop, but the suspect refused and continued to drive down Johnson Rd. at a high rate of speed. Fearing for his life, the trooper fired his department-issued .40 caliber pistol. Wyatt-Swift was struck in the abdomen and the side of his face and let go of the trooper, who fell to the roadway as the car continued on.
Keidel then ran back to his police cruiser, called in the shooting and followed in the direction of the suspect vehicle. About two miles down the road, the trooper found Wyatt-Swift’s vehicle where it had apparently struck a telephone pole support cable and flipped. However, the suspect was not found in the vehicle.
MSP troopers and Wicomico County Sheriff’s deputies by then had responded to the area and began a search for the suspect. A short time later, Wyatt-Swift walked out of the nearby woods and surrendered. He was given immediate emergency care and EMS personnel were summoned to the scene.
Wyatt-Swift was transported by ambulance to PRMC and was later transported by ambulance to Shock Trauma in Baltimore. This week, MSP Homicide Unit investigators served a warrant on Wyatt-Swift at Shock Trauma in Baltimore where he was undergoing treatment for at least one gunshot wound and injuries he sustained in the crash. He has been charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder, first and second degree assault, second degree assault on a law enforcement officer, reckless endangerment, false imprisonment and obstructing and hindering a police officer. A District Court Commissioner was brought to the hospital for an initial appearance and Wyatt-Swift was ordered to be held without bond.
Two Arrested In Berlin
BERLIN — Two Berlin residents were arrested on numerous charges last week after police observed them acting suspiciously around an apartment complex.
Last Thursday, Berlin Police were conducting a property check at the Bay Terrace Apartments on Bay Street when they contacted two individuals identified as Darrin Trimmel Gibbs, Jr., 27, and Jaireece Dee Von Hobbs, 27, both of Berlin. Gibbs first gave police a false identity, but officers were later able to correctly identify him. Gibbs was wanted for failure to appear on traffic charges.
Officers also learned Hobbs was wanted for failure to appear on DUI charges. Both were placed under arrest. During a subsequent search, Gibbs was found in possession of heroin. He was charged with trespassing, possession of heroin, and making a false statement to police. Hobbs was charged with trespassing, and failure to appear on DUI charges.
Shore Kingpin Sentenced
SALISBURY — A Delaware man, one of several arrested in connection with an extensive drug distribution operation across Delmarva, the Lower Shore and beyond, was sentenced this week to 16 years in prison.
Maurice Kenneth Hardy, 37, of Bridgeview, Del. Was sentenced on Tuesday in federal court to 16 years followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine across the Lower Shore and Delmarva. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein, Special Agent in Charge Karl C. Colder of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Colonel Marcus L. Brown, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police, Wicomico County Sheriff Michael A. Lewis, Salisbury Police Chief Barbara Duncan, Chief Michael Phillips of the Fruitland Police Department, U.S. Marshal Johnny Hughes and Wicomico County State’s Attorney Matthew Maciarello.
According to his guilty plea, from 2009 until his arrest on June 29, 2011, Hardy conspired to sell heroin and cocaine with, or distributed the drugs to Tereek Nutter and others. Austin Roberts was his primary source of supply. For example, on May 11, 2011, Hardy indicated in a telephone call with a co-conspirator that Roberts would be supplying him with seven kilograms of cocaine for $31,500 per kilogram.
The next day in Salisbury, Andrew Jackson, under Roberts’ direction, provided several kilograms of cocaine to Hardy. Subsequent to this meeting, law enforcement stopped Jackson’s vehicle and seized over $160,000 from a hidden compartment.
On June 29, 2011, after Hardy obtained 1.027 kilograms of cocaine from a co-conspirator, law enforcement stopped Hardy’s car and seized the cocaine. Law enforcement also executed a search warrant at Hardy’s home and a stash house used by Hardy, and seized a loaded handgun, ammunition, a digital scale, over $10,000, 82.4 grams of cocaine, 41.7 grams of heroin, a pocket scale and a large cocaine press.
During the course of the conspiracy, Hardy and his co-conspirators distributed over 15 kilograms of cocaine, a kilogram of heroin and a quantity of cocaine base.
Austin Roberts, III, age 37, formerly of Elkridge, Maryland; Andrew Jackson, age 39, of Baltimore, Maryland; and Tereek Nutter, age 30, of Salisbury, previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the drug conspiracy. Judge Hollander sentenced Jackson to 10 years in prison, Nutter to 151 months in prison and scheduled Roberts’ sentencing for Aug. 9.