Sex Abuse Sentence
SNOW HILL – A Maryland man was sentenced to 25 years in jail after being convicted last summer of sexual abuse of a minor.
Alvin Redmon
On Dec. 15, 2023, Alvin Lee Redmon, Jr., age 29 of Lusby, was sentenced to serve 25 years in the Division of Corrections for his conviction on the charge of sexual abuse of a minor. He was found guilty by a jury on July 19, after a two-day trial in the Worcester County Circuit Court. Judge Beau H. Oglesby presided over the case and imposed the maximum sentence allowed by law.
The charges stem from a complaint of sexual abuse which the victim originally reported to authorities in Calvert County in November of 2021. Further investigation revealed that the abuse had occurred over the course of several years and in multiple jurisdictions, including Ocean City. Redmon was the boyfriend of the victim’s mother at the time of the abuse in Ocean City and the victim was 15 years old.
Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser praised the collaborative efforts of Ocean City Police Department and all multi-disciplinary partners at the CRICKET Center who assisted in this investigation, and thanked Assistant State’s Attorney Mary-Ann Burkhart who prosecuted the case.
The mission of the CRICKET Center is to create a community response in which abusers are held accountable and children and families experience hope and healing. The multidisciplinary team is made up of law enforcement officers, child protective service personnel, prosecutors, advocates, mental health therapists and medical personnel. To learn more, or to report suspected child abuse, please contact 410-641-0097.
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Heroin, Fentanyl Possession
OCEAN CITY – A Delaware was caught in Ocean City this month with heroin and fentanyl as well as an illegal weapon.
On Dec. 9, Ocean City police responded to a resort hotel for an eviction that stemmed from the occupant making “inappropriate comments towards hotel stuff,” according to the statement of probable cause. Police were also told the man, Ryan Schussler, 40, of Ocean View, also smoked in the unit against hotel policy.
When police identified Schussler, his name was put through a wanted check, and it was discovered he was wanted in Pennsylvania on failure to appear in court on possession of a controlled dangerous substance case.
Prior to taking him into custody for extradition, Schussler was searched and a total of 47 white wax folds were found containing heroin and fentanyl. The drugs were found inside various pockets in his shorts. The statement of probable cause stated, “Currently, law enforcement is seeing a mixture of heroin and fentanyl in wax fold packaging. Fentanyl is a lab produced/man-made substance that is significantly cheaper to produce. … Due to the inherent risk associated with field testing substances, officers did not conduct a preliminary field test of the substance. The substance will be analyzed by a certified chemist in a controlled environment.”
Inside a bag belonging to Schussler was a black pistol crossbow, which is an illegal weapon per Ocean City code.
Schussler was charged with possession of schedule I drug (heroin), possession of schedule II drug (fentanyl) and possession of a dangerous weapon (pistol crossbow) under town law.
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First-Degree Assault
OCEAN CITY – A local man is facing first- and second-degree assault charges due to a dispute over a package.
On Dec. 8, around 10 p.m., Ocean City Communications alerted police officers on duty to an incident on 61st Street. The caller told dispatchers a male, later identified as William Fitzgerald Jr., 57, of Ocean City, had flashed a knife at him. Communications advised police an additional call had come in advising of a stolen package nearby.
Upon arrival, police interviewed the caller, who said his neighbor, Fitzgerald, had accused him of taking his package. When confronted, the man, who does not speak English, told Fitzgerald he did not have his package. Fitzgerald returned to the man’s unit 15 minutes later pointing a black handled knife at him. The man told police he feared for his life as Fitzgerald threatened him.
When interviewed, Fitzgerald denied having a knife when he confronted the man. Police could see the knife in question on the counter. Police told Fitzgerald he was being charged with assault, leading to a tirade and a police officer being shoved into the rear of a patrol vehicle.
Fitzgerald is charged with first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree assault.
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Vulnerable Adult Assault
OCEAN CITY – A woman’s broken bone caused by an Ocean City man’s aggression led to a first-degree assault charge earlier this month.
On Dec. 7, around 1:45 p.m., an Ocean City police detective was dispatched to Atlantic General Hospital in reference to an assault that had occurred. A woman was being treated at the hospital for a broken left wrist that had occurred when she was struck by her son-in-law, Brandon J. Crippen, 35, of Ocean City. The woman told police Crippen was “on a crack binge” and was angry over financial issues. An argument over the lack of hamburger buns in the house the day before led Crippen to hit the woman in the arm with a shoe. Though she knew she was seriously hurt, the victim did not seek treatment or inform police because she feared Crippen. The woman told police Crippen had assaulted her in the past and she feared for the safety of her grandchildren under his care.
Police responded to Crippen’s residence, and he fled the building across Coastal Highway. Crippen was apprehended a short time later and placed under arrest. Crippen agreed at headquarters to talk to police about the incident that led to the woman being hospitalized. Crippen was unaware he had broken the woman’s wrist, saying he had only tossed a tennis shoe at her from three feet away.
Crippen was charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault and two counts of abuse to a vulnerable adult.
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Theft, Home Invasion Charges
OCEAN CITY – An Ocean City man faces numerous charges after a domestic incident, including home invasion and motor vehicle theft.
On Dec. 5, around 6 p.m., Ocean City police was dispatched to assist a citizen in a downtown unit. A woman told police her husband, Carl Magaro, 35, of Ocean City, had forcibly taken her car keys from her. The victim told police Magaro was released from jail earlier the same day after being arrested on a warrant and that he was through a court order not to be at their unit.
According to the woman, Magaro returned to the unit to gather his belongings. When he asked for her car keys to get other items, she refused, saying she would unlock the car so he could retrieve his items. Magaro became upset and, according to the police report, “forcefully grabbed the back of her neck with one hand and with his other hand, he grabbed onto her hand that was holding her car keys.”
The woman was able to get free of Magaro and locked herself inside the unit. Magaro began kicking and hitting the door and eventually gained access to the unit by breaking the deadbolt. Magaro began assaulting the woman in an attempt to get the key fab to her vehicle. The victim was able to get free and call police with Magaro inside the unit he was not allowed to be in per a court order as well as in contact with the victim.
The court order was the result of a situation that unfolded on Dec. 1 when Magaro stole her iPhone, her tablet, her wallet and her vehicle, a 2019 Honda Accord valued at $27,000. An arrest warrant was issued, and Magaro was eventually apprehended.
For the two situations, Magaro faces numerous charges, including motor vehicle theft, theft $100 to under $1,500, home invasion, third-degree burglary, robbery and second-degree assault.