OCEAN CITY -- Ocean City Police this week are seeking the public’s help in identifying the suspects who swiped a bank bag containing a large amount of money from a north end store last Saturday afternoon.

Around 4 p.m. last Saturday, police responded to the Wine Rack on 85th Street for a reported theft. The store’s manager told police an unidentified suspect entered the office and stole a blue bank bag containing a large sum of cash. Video surveillance shows the suspect sneaking into the office and attempting to open the top drawer of a desk. When the top drawer wouldn’t open, the suspect then opened the lower drawer and found the blue bank bag.

The suspect then concealed the bag and left the store. The investigation revealed a total of four suspects working together to steal the bank bag. The first suspect is described as an African-American male with a medium build wearing a knee-length black coat, light blue knit hat, black shoes and blue jeans with designer torn knees.

The second suspect is described as an African-American male with a medium build wearing a light gray sweatshirt, blue jeans and a light-colored fisherman’s hat. The third suspect is described as an African-American male with a medium build wearing blue jeans and a dark-colored jacket. The fourth suspect is described as an African-American male wearing a yellow construction hard hat, a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and a yellow safety reflective vest.

To see a video of the suspects, see The Dispatch’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thedispatchoc

Accident Sends Family To Hospital

BERLIN -- A Salisbury woman was charged with driving while impaired and negligent driving last weekend after attempting to cross Route 50 at Route 610 and colliding with a vehicle in the westbound lane, sending the driver and his family to an area hospital.

Shortly before 3 p.m. last Saturday, Maryland State Police troopers responded to a reported motor vehicle accident on Route 50 near Route 610 just west of Berlin. The investigation revealed a Kia SUV driven by Roxanne Cook, 21, of Salisbury, attempted to cross Route 50 to Route 610 and failed to yield the right-of-way to a Toyota Highlander driven by Brent Voigt, 36, also of Salisbury.

When police arrived, both vehicles were in the middle of Route 50. Rescue personnel from the Berlin Fire Department and EMS arrived and rendered aid. Voight and his family were transported to PRMC in Salisbury for treatment of undisclosed injuries. Cook was charged with driving while impaired and negligent driving. Westbound Route 50 was closed for about 40 minutes while the roadway was cleaned up.

Serial Peeper Convicted

OCEAN CITY -- A serial “Peeping Tom” arrested by Ocean City Police last July after he was caught peering into windows in the north end of the resort was found guilty last week and was sentenced to a year in jail, all of which was suspended in favor of a fine.

Last July 15, Ocean City Police, in conjunction with the Delaware State Police Major Crime Unit, concluded a “Peeping Tom” investigation with the arrest of the suspect, William Devon Jones, 44, of West Chester, Pa. During the investigation, Jones was observed riding his bicycle in the north end of Ocean City and into Delaware.

Jones was followed and was observed peeping into windows of three different apartments in the East of the Sun community in Fenwick Island that borders Ocean City. Jones than rode back into Ocean City and was observed trespassing on private properties in the north end of town. He was taken into custody after a brief bicycle chase.

Ocean City Police were also seeking Jones for second-degree assault and a fourth-degree sex offense. The Ocean City charges were brought after a complaint in June, the investigation of which identified Jones as the suspect. He is being held on both Delaware State Police warrants and Ocean City Police warrants and additional charges are pending from both law enforcement agencies.

Last week, Jones pleaded guilty to private place, prurient interest and was sentenced to one year in jail. The sentence was then suspended and Jones was fined $500.

Suspended Sentences
For Boardwalk Assaulters

SNOW HILL -- Three of the five suspects arrested last July on assault and other serious charges after harassing two victims on the Boardwalk before stealing a baseball cap and a necklace appeared for trial last week and had similar outcomes.

Around 1:45 a.m. on July 31, two OCPD officers working plainclothes detail on the Boardwalk in the area of 4th Street observed five suspects walking in a circle around a single victim. The officers observed the suspects yelling and pointing at the victim before one of the suspects took a Phillies baseball hat from the victim and kicked it across the Boardwalk.

The victim picked up his hat and continued to walk north on the Boardwalk, while the five suspects left the Boardwalk at 4th Street. The officers followed the suspects and observed one of them push a random victim into the roadway at 5th Street. One of the suspects, a juvenile, attempted to get the victim to fight by throwing his arms in the air and taking a fighting stance. The victim ignored the suspect and continued to walk south on the Boardwalk.

Meanwhile, other officers were investigating a reported robbery in the area of 4th Street. Items taken during the robbery included a red Phillies hat and a large necklace adorned with the letter “P,” which stood for Pittsburgh. The officers observing the five suspects from the earlier incident observed one of suspects, later identified as Khaizel Demarcus Nock, 18, of Salisbury, with a necklace matching the description at his feet and a red Phillies hat on his head.

The victims were brought to the scene and positively identified the hat and necklace as their property. The victims told police the five suspects surrounded them on the Boardwalk, shoved them to the ground and took the hat from one victim and the necklace from another. The victims told police they tried to be friendly with the suspects because they were afraid of them. They also exchanged phone numbers with the suspects so they could get their property back if they were willing to pay for them.

The five suspects, including Nock; Ryan Lee Mitchell, 19, of Salisbury; Shaquille Jones, 18, of Salisbury; Dabari Fisher, 24, of Cambridge; and a juvenile, were each arrested and charged with robbery, theft and second-degree assault.

Last week, Nock pleaded guilty to theft and second-degree assault and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, all of which was suspended in favor of two years of probation and a $1,000 fine. Mitchell pleaded guilty to the same charges and was sentenced to 60 days in jail, which was suspended in favor of two years of probation and a $600 fine. Fisher pleaded guilty to affray and was sentenced to six months, all of which was suspended, and he was placed on probation for two years and fined $500. Jones has a plea hearing scheduled for May 2.

Jail Time For Scrapping With Cops

SNOW HILL -- A Dundalk man, arrested last August after scrapping with OCPD officers attempting to arrest him, pleaded guilty this week in Circuit Court to second-degree assault and resisting arrest and was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

Around 2:20 a.m. last August 19, an Ocean City police officer stopped a group of individuals believed to be involved in an assault in the area of 3rd Street and Baltimore Ave. When the officer began identifying members of the group, he discovered one of them, later identified as Vernon Fields, 20, of Dundalk, had a warrant out for his arrest.

When the officer attempted to take Fields into custody, he resisted arrest and struggled with the officer attempting to handcuff him. When another officer interceded, Fields allegedly got up and started thrashing around and pulling away before falling over between the curb and a vehicle.

At one point, Fields attempted to punch one of the officers, but the officer responded by punching Fields in the face. Fields continued to fight with three OCPD officers before his girlfriend also joined the fray. One officer continued to punch Fields in the head and body, while another grabbed his head and pushed it into the side of vehicle. At that point, the call went out for all available units to respond.

At different times during the altercation, Fields attempted to grab OCPD officers around the waist. When he attempted to grab one officer, the officer applied a knee strike to the suspect, knocking him to the ground. At that point, Fields fell on top of another officer already on the ground. According to police reports, all officers on the scene were sustained injuries during the fight, which was called “extremely violent and chaotic.”

A crowd of roughly 10 people watched the incident from across the street and one reportedly told an officer on standby Fields fighting with three uniformed officers was ridiculous. Fields was finally subdued and was charged with three counts of assault and resisting arrest. This week, Fields pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and resisting arrest and was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

Jail Time For Contractor Theft

WEST OCEAN CITY -- A Belair man, charged in January with felony theft after allegedly swiping $5,000 from a West Ocean City residence while working as a contractor just before Christmas, pleaded guilty last week in District Court to one count of theft over $1,000 but under $10,000 and was sentenced to a year in jail.

On December 22, a Maryland State Police trooper took an initial report of a theft from a residence on Salisbury Rd. in West Ocean City. The investigation revealed a suspect or suspects had stolen $5,000 in cash from the residence sometime between December 16 and December 21. The Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI) took the lead on the investigation and determined an employee of a local HVAC company, later identified as Nicholas William Lupo, 24, of Belair, Md., had been in the residence doing work during the time.

During a subsequent interview, Lupo ultimately gave a full confession to the crime. Last week, Lupo pleaded guilty to one count of theft over $1,000 and under $10,000 and was sentenced to 18 months in jail, all but 12 months of which were then suspended. He was also placed on probation for three years, fined $500 and ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to the victim.

DUI Crash Nets Jail Time

OCEAN CITY -- An Ocean City man, arrested in January on drunk-driving and other charges after leading resort police on a chase through the downtown area knocking over a few signs before crashing into a utility pole, pleaded guilty last week to driving under the influence and was sentenced to a year in jail, all but 10 days of which was suspended.

Around 6 p.m. on Jan. 6, Ocean City Police received a complaint from a private citizen about a vehicle stopped on the center median at 17th Street with a suspected drunk driver outside the vehicle. The witness told police the driver, later identified as Shawn Allen Chaney, 42, of Ocean City, then got back in the vehicle and drove off the elevated median, heading south on Coastal Highway.

With an OCPD sergeant following him, Chaney allegedly struck numerous curbs, ran over a sidewalk and knocked down two street signs at 12th and 9th Streets.

Officers in marked police vehicles then got behind Chaney in the area of 9th Street and, suspecting the suspect might be drunk, attempted to stop the vehicle. Chaney did not stop and made a U-turn at 15th Street and continued north with officers in pursuit. At 18th Street, the vehicle struck a utility pole while traveling around 35 miles per hour and came to a stop.

Chaney was treated at the scene by Ocean City paramedics and was flown to PRMC in Salisbury for treatment of his injuries. Last week, Chaney pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and was sentenced to a year in jail, all but 10 days of which were suspended. He was also fined $500.