OCEAN CITY — Three Washington, D.C. area residents were arrested last month after allegedly being found smoking marijuana in a vehicle and later in possession of multiple loaded handguns.
Around 4:50 p.m. Aug. 21, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a public parking lot in the South Division Street area for a controlled dangerous substance (CDS) violation. OCPD officers reportedly observed several males sitting a vehicle with the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle.
OCPD officers had the males exit the vehicle and asked if they had been smoking marijuana in it. The three suspects, identified as Joshua Luturharhary, 19, of Fairfax, Va., Augustine Boakye, 19, of Lorton, Va., and Henokh Matheos, 22, of Silver Spring, Md., admitted they had been smoking marijuana inside the vehicle, according to police reports.
A search of the vehicle revealed a 9mm handgun with a loaded 15-round capacity magazine under the front passenger seat, along with several 9mm cartridges. Also located during the search was a black sling bag on the rear driver’s side seat containing another loaded 9mm handgun with a 17-round capacity with several 9mm cartridges.
Officers also located two bags containing around one ounce of suspected marijuana. In the trunk, officers located a duffle bag containing a bag of marijuana estimated at around one ounce. Yet another backpack located in the trunk contained multiple bags of marijuana estimated at around three ounces, along with a scale, grinder, boxes of plastic baggies and other paraphernalia, according to police reports. Officers also located a bag containing amphetamine in the driver’s side door pocket.
Officers reportedly interviewed Boakye, who advised he had knowledge of the loaded handguns in the vehicle. Boakye also advised there was a bag of marijuana in a duffle back that belonged to him, but denied ownership of any of the other marijuana located in the vehicle.
Officers interviewed Lutuharhary, who advised he was the front seat passenger at the time and the 9mm handgun found under the seat belonged to him, according to police reports. Through the investigation, officers learned Matheos was the rear-seat passenger and the sling bag containing the other loaded handgun belonged to him, along with the majority of the marijuana found in the various bags. A search of Matheos’ person revealed his was carrying over $5,300 in cash.
Each suspect was charged with possession of a firearm, possession of firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and drug possession and distribution counts.
