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Maryland Natural Resources Police Blotter
Anne Arundel County – On Tuesday, July 24, Charles Eugene Conklin III, 46, of Baltimore was sentenced to six months in jail for abandoning a vessel in Tanyard Cove on Marley Creek.
The Maryland Natural Resources (NRP) charged Conklin in August of 2006 after he abandoned his 41-foot cabin cruiser in Tanyard Cove. After a postponement and two failures to appear for trial, Conklin was found guilty on May 21, in Anne Arundel County District Court. The judge ordered Conklin to remove the vessel from the waters of the state within 60 days and scheduled a July 24, sentencing hearing.
On July 24, the vessel had not been removed and the judge again found Conklin guilty and sentenced him to 6 months in jail at the Anne Arundel County Detention Center.
The judge suspended all but 30 days of the sentence. After serving the 30 days, Conklin must remove the vessel within the next 30 days or face returning to jail. He also was given 6 months unsupervised probation. The judge set a $16,000 cash appeal bond for Conklin if he wanted to appeal the judgment.
Cecil County – On Thursday, July 26, at 7:12 p.m. the Maryland Natural Resources Police recovered the body of a Pennsylvania man from the waters of the Sassafras River near Fredericktown.
NRP responded along with the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office to Skipjack Cove after receiving a report that John P. Jester, 72, of Fort Washington, Pa. was missing. Jester had driven from Pennsylvania to Skipjack Cove where he kept his 36-foot sailboat. Jester’s body was recovered from the water by NRP along side his docked vessel. His body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy. NRP continues to investigate the incident however; foul play is not suspected at this time.
Cecilton Volunteer Fire Company and the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office assisted NRP with the incident.
Charles County – On Wednesday, July 25, at 1:15 a.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police Tactical Response Team arrested Jeremy Michael Plemons, 26, of Marbury for breaking into a boat at the Smallwood State Park marina.
From December 2006 through July 24 of this year, Smallwood State Park has had over 25 incidents involving burglary, theft and malicious destruction of property. From those incidents, over $8,000 worth of equipment and cash had been stolen from the park and private individuals who stored vessels at the park’s marina. The NRP Tactical Response Team set up surveillance on the area and apprehended Plemons as he exited a vessel at the marina with a CD receiver in hand.
Later on that afternoon, the NRP Criminal Investigation Unit executed a search and seizure warrant on Plemons residence and recovered more items as evidence. Plemons is being held on $5,000 bond at the Charles County Detention Center. At this time, he has been charged with theft less than $500, burglary in the second degree, possession of burglary tools, trespassing and malicious destruction of property. NRP continues their investigation and additional charges are pending.
NRP was assisted by the Maryland State Police and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office.
Garrett County – On Monday, July 23, the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged Brandon William Robinson, 18, of Swanton, Bruce Adam Deal, 18 and a 17-year old boy, both of Oakland with drugs and weapon violations on Maple Glade Road in Swallow Falls State Park.
NRP was patrolling the park and observed a pickup truck stopped in the middle of the roadway with the 17-year old standing outside of the truck. Once the boy noticed the officer’s marked patrol vehicle, he jumped into the truck and started to back up the roadway at a high rate of speed. NRP stopped the truck and observed one of the passengers trying to conceal a rifle.
NRP searched of the vehicle and seized as evidence, a loaded .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a .22 caliber rifle, two compound bows, a bag of suspected marijuana, two smoking pipes, rolling papers, two tree stands and .22 caliber ammunition.
The three were charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS), marijuana, possession of CDS paraphernalia, possession of an alcoholic beverage by a person under 21 years of age and possession of a weapon in a state park. Robinson and Deal were released by a Garrett County District Court Commissioner on their own personal recognizance. The 17-year old was held over night by the Department of Juvenile Services for a hearing Tuesday morning.
Queen Anne’s County – On Wednesday, July 25, at 7:43 p.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police arrested a Grasonville man on multiple criminal and traffic charges at the Queen Anne’s County public boat docks on Wharf Drive.
NRP responded by boat to the area after receiving a report of a domestic disturbance occurring on a vessel docked at one of the slips. NRP observed John Edward Clopein, 35, of Grasonville leaving the area in a pickup truck. The officer made contact with a female individual on the boat that had visible injuries. She refused medical treatment.
While the officer was interviewing the female, Clopein returned twice to the scene in his truck. The first time, he saw the officer and fled the scene again. The second time, the officer hid behind a park vehicle and was able to apprehended Clopein before he could flee the scene again. He was transported by the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office to the Maryland State Police Centreville Barrack. Clopein took a breath test, which showed a blood alcohol concentration of .16 percent.
NRP charged Clopein with using a dangerous weapon with intent to injure; second-degree assault; reckless endangerment; alcohol endangerment; disorderly conduct; littering; driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol; driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol per se; driving a vehicle while impaired by alcohol; driving a vehicle while impaired by drugs and or alcohol; driving on suspended license and negligent driving.
He was taken before a Queen Anne’s County District Court Commissioner and released on his own personal recognizance with the understanding he was not to have any additional contact that night with the female victim.
July 30, 2007The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) is the enforcement arm of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With an authorized strength of 280 officers and a dedicated staff of civilian and volunteer personnel, the NRP provide a variety of services in addition to conservation and boating law enforcement duties throughout the State of Maryland. These services include homeland security, search and rescue, emergency medical services, education, information and communications services on a round the clock basis. NRP is the only police force aside from the Maryland State Police that has statewide jurisdiction.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 449,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov