Cocaine Dealer Sentenced
SNOW HILL — A Pennsylvania man, arrested in June on multiple drug and weapons charges after Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers observed him acting suspiciously in the downtown parking lot, pleaded guilty last week and was sentenced to five years, all but one of which was suspended.
Around 10:30 p.m. on June 9, OCPD detectives, working in an undercover narcotics detail, were patrolling the municipal parking lot at Worcester Street when they observed John Kisesewa acting suspiciously. According to police reports, Kisesewa, 18, of Reading, Pa., was leaning into the open trunk of a vehicle and doing something under the floorboard in the spare tire well.
According to police reports, Kisesewa was looking around as if to see if he was being watched. The officer observed Kisesewa had a plastic Ziploc bag in his hand. The officers circled around again and observed Kisesewa still leaning into the trunk and looking around as if to see if anybody was watching, according to police reports. When he saw the officers, he shoved the plastic bag back into the trunk and out of view and continued to appear startled and nervous.
The OCPD officers attempted to speak with Kisesewa, but he immediately started to run away. Officers caught Kisesewa after a brief foot chase. OCPD looked on the ground where Kisesewa had been standing at the vehicle’s trunk and discovered a plastic bag containing cocaine pressed into a solid piece in an amount greater than what is typically used for personal consumption, according to police reports.
At that point, Kisesewa was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. A search of the vehicle’s trunk subsequent to the arrest turned up a bag of marijuana in a jacket pocket, again in an amount larger than what is used for personal consumption. Officers also located a digital scale in the jacket pocket along with $658 in cash arranged from the highest to the lowest denominations.
OCPD officers also located a loaded handgun in the spare tire well. The semi-automatic handgun was loaded with seven rounds in the gun including one in the chamber, meaning the gun was loaded and ready to fire.
As an individual under the age of 21, Kisesewa was prohibited from possessing a regulated .32 caliber handgun. After further inspection, it was apparent someone had tried to alter the gun’s serial number. There were deliberate scratches over the serial number on the gun. Last week, Kisesewa pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to five years with all but one year suspended. He also entered Alford pleas for possession of a firearm by a minor and altering the registration number of a firearm and was sentenced to three years with all but one year suspended on those counts. In and Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt, but acknowledges the prosecution has sufficient evidence to try the case.
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Probation For Resisting Arrest
OCEAN CITY — A New Hampshire man, arrested in July for breaking and entering and assault, pleaded guilty to resisting arrest last week and was placed on probation for one year.
Around 11:10 p.m. on July 14, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to a motel at 60th Street for a report of an intoxicated male sleeping in a room that did not belong to him. Upon arrival, the OCPD officer met with the room’s renter, who said she was staying in the unit with family and friends. The renter told police there was an intoxicated male, later identified as Kurtis Singleton, 27, of Manchester, N.H., sleeping in a bed in one of the rooms.
The witness said she first thought Singleton was her son, but realized he was not after attempting to wake him.
The OCPD officer went to the room and found Singleton still sleeping in the room. The officer announced his presence loudly and identified himself as a police officer. According to police reports, the officer attempted to awaken Singleton several times by shaking him and telling him he was in the wrong room. However, Singleton could not be roused and rolled over and continued to sleep, according to police reports.
After several attempts, Singleton opened his eyes, looked at the officer and swung his arm, striking the officer in the chest. Two OCPD officers attempted to handcuff Singleton with the help of an off-duty trooper who was working security at the motel. A confused Singleton resisted at first and questioned what the police were doing to him, but he was ultimately brought into compliance and was charged with second-degree assault, breaking and entering and resisting arrest.
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Indecent Exposure, Assault Case Headed To Circuit Court
OCEAN CITY — A Maryland man, arrested in August for indecent exposure, assault and other charges after allegedly exposing himself to and later scrapping with an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer attempting to take him into custody, asked for a jury trial last week, sending the case to Worcester County Circuit Court.
Around 10:50 p.m. on Aug. 10, an OCPD officer patrolling in the area of 21st Street observed a suspect identified as Ahmad Hady, 49, of Montgomery Village, Md., walking up the street. The OCPD officer recognized Hady from a previous incident during which he was being disorderly and fled from the officer when he attempted to detain him.
According to police reports, the officer approached Hady on the street to speak with him in a calm manner about the events that had occurred earlier in the day and Hady responded by pulling his shorts down and exposing his genitalia. According to police reports, Hady had his pants down around his ankles and began manipulating his genitalia in a vulgar manner in front of the officer.
When the officer attempted to take Hady into custody, he pulled away and walked into a nearby hotel parking lot. When the officer approached Hady again, the suspect turned around and ripped the radio off of the officer’s uniform. According to police reports, Hady then squared up his stance and held up closed fists as if he was preparing to assault the officer.
Hady attempted to punch the officer several times, connecting once with a strike with a closed fist to the officer’s left cheek while the officer attempted to take him into custody. By now, a large crowd had gathered to watch the altercation and seemed disturbed, according to police reports. One woman walking with young children was clearly afraid of the incident and took her children into the hotel building and away from the fray.
Hady was ultimately subdued and was arrested and charged with assault, indecent exposure and resisting arrest. After requesting a jury trial last week, the case is now headed to Worcester County Circuit Court.
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Shoving, Spitting Rampage Plea
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania man, arrested in August after allegedly going on a rampage over some electrical work at his north-end condo, pleaded guilty to multiple counts last week, but sentencing was deferred to a later date.
Around 10:50 p.m. on Aug. 14, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to the Golden Sands condominium uptown for a reported fight in progress. The OCPD officers arrived and determined the fight was no long active. The officers met with a maintenance employee who said a condo owner identified as Joseph Plebani, 62, of Hummelstown, Pa., was upset about some recent electrical work at his unit and came to the lobby to confront the maintenance supervisor.
According to police reports, Plebani was accompanied by his wife, who continually urged him to calm down and stop his actions, according to police reports. The condo’s general manager informed Plebani he maintenance supervisor was at the maintenance office and Plebani sought him out and was overheard saying “I’m going to kill that mother [expletive deleted],” according to police reports.
Two maintenance workers attempted to block Plebani from reaching their supervisor, but Plebani tried to push his way past them, shoving the worked and spitting on one of them with saliva landing on the victim’s face. Plebani pushed past the two workers and reached the maintenance supervisor, spitting at him twice with saliva landing on the victim’s face and arm.
The condo’s general manager, the grounds supervisor and a board member joined the attempt to stop Plebani from reaching the maintenance supervisor and the subject of his alleged tirade, and Plebani subsequently spit on each of them, according to police reports. Plebani eventually returned to his unit before police arrived.
When OCPD officers arrived, they located Plebani at his unit sitting in the living room with a can of beer. When the officer entered and told Plebani they wanted to speak to him about the incident, he allegedly threw the beer can at the officer, striking him in the chest and getting beer on his uniform. Plebani also launched expletives and derogatory words against the police officers. The tirade escalated with threats to police and further spitting at officers.
Last week, Plebani pleaded guilty to second-degree assault, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Sentencing was deferred to a later date.