RE: State of Maryland vs. Luke Powell

On Monday, December 11, 2023, Luke Edward Powell, 24, of Edgewood, Maryland, was convicted of Attempted First Degree Murder, Assault in the First Degree, two counts of Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Crime of Violence, and Transporting a Handgun in a Vehicle, following a nine-day jury trial in the Circuit Court for Harford County before the Honorable M. Elizabeth Bowen.

Evidence presented at trial showed that on September 5, 2022, deputies responded to 2016 Cherry Road, Edgewood, pursuant to a 911 call for shots fired. Detectives from the Criminal Investigation Division of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office assumed the investigation, which revealed that the shooting occurred at the intersection of Hanson Road and Edgewood Road. The Defendant, Luke Powell, rode a red and white dirt bike and fired multiple shots at the victims, a male and his father, while they were in their vehicle at the red light. The younger male victim was familiar with the Defendant and identified the shooter as Luke Powell, who resided at 2016 Cherry Road. The vehicle sustained damage from the bullets. However, neither victim was seriously injured.

A search of the intersection produced two spent .380 caliber shell casings in the roadway where the victims stated the shooting occurred. These casings were later identified as the same caliber, manufacturer, and year of manufacture as ammunition recovered from the defendant’s home after a search warrant was lawfully executed. The defendant’s red and white dirt bike was also located hidden in thick brush behind his residence and was still hot to the touch, contrary to his denial of owning or riding a dirt bike that day. In addition to ammunition, detectives also located a firearm case and a magazine for a .380 caliber handgun in the defendant’s bedroom. The firearm used was never located. Ring video footage depicted the defendant removing the same dirt bike from his shed and riding it down the roadway just prior to the shooting. The footage also showed the defendant returning home in the same clothing but changing shirts prior to deputies’ arrival on scene. Sentencing in this matter is currently set for March 22, 2024.

After the jury returned their guilty verdict, State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey provided the following statement: “Justice was served today for these two victims when a Harford County jury found Mr. Powell guilty of his crimes. This verdict further ensures that the Defendant will be off of the streets of our community and will be unable to perpetrate any further crimes of violence for the foreseeable future, if ever. I commend the victims in this matter for their strength and willingness to testify in this case, and it is my sincere hope that they heal from this terrifying event and move forward in the most positive way possible. Using a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence, especially with the intent to take the life of one of our citizens, is an intolerable act, and the State will seek a sentence that sends that strong message.”

State’s Attorney Healey went on to thank Detective DeFazio and Detective Wilsynski as well as the entire Harford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division for their efforts surrounding this case. Additionally, she commends Deputy State’s Attorney Trenna Manners for her preparation, advocacy, and commitment to this case, as well the countless hours of work that she spent bringing this Defendant to justice.

RE: State of Maryland vs. Bernard Lamont Staten

On Monday, December 4, 2023, Bernard Lamont Staten, 68, of Edgewood, Maryland, pled guilty to Attempted Second Degree Rape and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine in two separate cases before the Honorable Judge Diane Adkins-Tobin. Both pleas were binding plea agreements, and Staten will be sentenced to 30 years to serve on December 18, 2023, the maximum of 20 years to serve on the Attempted Second Degree Rape and 10 years to serve consecutive on the Possession with Intent to Distribute, which was above the sentencing guidelines.

Facts presented to the court in support of both guilty pleas revealed that on January 24, 2023, a woman was stranded on the side of the road, awaiting a tow truck. Despite not knowing her, the Defendant offered to give her a ride to her home in Westminster, Maryland. The Defendant instead traveled to the Motel 6 in Edgewood, Maryland. He then grabbed her arm, removing her from the truck and taking her into a room he had rented at that hotel. Once inside the room, he pushed her onto the bed and attempted to engage in sexual intercourse with her. The victim attempted to scream and refuse his advances, and the Defendant placed a pillow over her face to quiet her while he tried to remove her pants continuing to indicate his desire to engage in sexual intercourse. The victim continued to yell and began kicking the wall and elsewhere to fight off the Defendant, and eventually, she believed she kicked him in the groin area, which allowed her to run out of the room. Once out of the room, she got the attention of a guest in another room, who contacted law enforcement on her behalf. The Defendant tried to lure the victim back into his vehicle, a Chevrolet Avalanche, by telling her that he had her wedding rings which he had removed from her finger in the truck, and she should come retrieve them, which the victim refused to do. Harford County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies responded to the scene, and later the Criminal Investigations Division pursued the investigation. Pursuant to that investigation, on January 26, 2023, Harford County Sheriff’s Office detectives conducted a Search and Seizure Warrant on the Chevrolet Avalanche belonging to Staten where they located the victim’s rings. In addition to the rings, the detectives also located over 13 grams of crack cocaine in individually wrapped bags in the vehicle and over $965 in cash on the Defendant’s person when he was arrested. The quantity of the cocaine and other circumstances indicated that the Defendant possessed the cocaine with the intent to distribute that substance resulting in the second case.

At the conclusion of the plea proceedings, State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey, who prosecuted this case, stated “Given the Defendant’s age, a thirty-year sentence in these cases ensures that the community will never again be at risk to be victimized by this Defendant. In addition, it also continues our message to our community that we will not tolerate these acts of violence, distribution of drugs, or any type of crime for that matter in Harford County. I commend the victim in this case for her strength on the night of this incident and hope that she will feel safe knowing that Mr. Staten is no longer a threat to her or this community.”

Additionally, Ms. Healey expresses her gratitude to Detective Reynolds, Detective Smith, Sergeant Maddox, Detective Pachkoski, Detective Majewski, Detective Wilsynski, Sergeant Underhill, and the entire Harford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division for their diligence in investigating this case, as she could not have received this substantial sentence without their hard work.

On September 12, 2023, Matthew Dwight Tingler, 39, of Joppa, Maryland was sentenced to Life in prison. This sentence, imposed by the Honorable Diane Adkins-Tobin, followed a guilty plea on June 22, 2023 to Attempted First Degree Murder. A previous press release indicated that this charge was a result of a vicious attack occurring in November 2022 on Corporal Michael Vesek, a Correctional Deputy at the Harford County Detention Center while Tingler was an inmate there.

Victim impact statements were provided to the court by both Corporal Vesek and Colonel William Davis of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office. Both statements outlined the “profound and lasting” impact this egregious act has had on Corporal Vesek, his family, the law enforcement community, and the community as a whole. Sentencing Guidelines from the Maryland Automated Guidelines Systems (MAGS) for Tingler calculated a range of 25 to 40 years of incarceration. However, State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey argued that this was an appropriate case for an upward deviation from those guidelines, requesting life in prison, citing Tingler’s violent criminal history and the heinous nature of the conduct in this case. Ms. Healey also noted the numerous opportunities for rehabilitation and treatment that have been afforded to Tingler throughout the course of his involvement in the criminal justice system, all of which have been unsuccessful.

During the sentencing, Judge Adkins-Tobin said that a “clear message must be sent to the inmate population that the court will not tolerate” these kinds of “incredibly vicious” acts. She also noted that “there are people who are just plain evil, and that is Mr. Tingler.” She further ordered that Tingler be immediately transferred to the Division of Correction and not held locally while pending additional matters. She thanked Corporal Vesek for his service to Harford County and recognized the vital and sometimes unrecognized role correctional officers play in maintaining the safety of our community.

Following the sentencing hearing, State’s Attorney Healey stated the following: “I commend Corporal Vesek for his bravery today in addressing the court and reliving the attack that he had to endure at the hands of Matthew Tingler. It is my hope that today’s life sentence will bring Corporal Vesek and his family some closure and am relieved that justice was served. Today we sent a strong message that violence in our community and against our law enforcement will not be tolerated. Today was a strong step forward towards a safer Harford County.”

On Thursday, July 27, 2023 Philip Paul Manna III, 43, was found guilty of Driving While Impaired by Alcohol, Driving While Revoked, Driving on a Suspended License, Driving without the Required License, and Driving without an Ignition Interlock as Required.

During the course of a two-day jury trial before the Honorable Judge Alex Allman, evidence was presented that on May 19, 2023, a 911 call was placed by a concerned citizen who observed a vehicle driving erratically in the wrong direction of traffic at extreme rates of speed. The caller advised that the vehicle and its occupant stopped in the “Festival” parking lot in Bel Air, Maryland and that the driver, later identified as Philip Manna III, entered the Spirts & Wine Liquor store before losing sight of the vehicle. Harford County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Tabler and Maryland State Police Trooper Dill responded to the registered address of the vehicle approximately ten minutes later and observed Manna seated in the driver’s seat of the vehicle with the running lights on and the driver’s side door open. When Deputy Tabler approached, Manna turned off the vehicle, threw the keys in the back seat and ran toward the residence, leaving an unopened bottle of vodka toward the back driver’s side wheel of the vehicle. Trooper Dill assumed the investigation and questioned Manna on his whereabouts prior to arriving at the residence. Manna indicated that he was coming from the Crazy Tuna restaurant and responded “I don’t know” when asked how much alcohol he had consumed that evening. Manna denied driving the vehicle and refused all standard field sobriety tests. However, Deputy Tabler and Trooper Dill detected the strong smell of alcohol, bloodshot, glassy eyes, and nervous behavior. Manna was placed under arrest for suspected Driving Under the Influence and transported back to the Maryland State Poice Barracks where Manna refused the DR-15 intoximeter test. Sentencing was scheduled for August 2, 2023 and Manna was remanded into custody.

In preparation for sentencing, it came to the attention of Assistant State’s Attorney Vincenzo Culotta, that on the evening of the first day of trial, July 26, 2023, Manna, still without a license, drove to a liquor store in Bel Air. State’s Attorney’s Office Investigator Christopher Gibbons was able to obtain surveillance footage from the liquor store confirming that Manna did, in fact, drive to the location and go into the store while actively being tried for the May 19th incident. Assistant State’s Attorney Culotta presented this information at the sentencing hearing on August 2, 2023, as well as information that Manna had three prior convictions for Driving Under the Influence or Impaired, as well as a previous conviction for Driving without an Ignition Interlock and Malicious Destruction of Property.

Judge Allman sentenced Manna under subsequent offender penalties to 7 years suspend all but 3.5 years of incarceration with the sentencing breakdown as follows:
Driving while Impaired by Alcohol – 5 years, suspend all but 3 years.
Driving while Revoked – 1 year, suspend all but 6 months.
Driving on a Suspended License merged into Driving while Revoked
Driving without Required License merged into Driving while Revoked
Driving without an Ignition Interlock as Required – 1 year suspended
The sentences in all counts were ordered to run consecutively to one another.

State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey thanks Assistant State’s Attorney Vincenzo Culotta for his diligence in pursuing justice and ensuring community safety in this case through his litigation of this trial. Further thanks are extended to Assistant State’s Attorney Rebecca Malkowski for her litigation of the suppression hearing in this matter. She also thanks Deputy Tabler and Trooper Dill for their efforts. “Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol is a senseless and completely preventable crime, while also being a crime that puts the lives of our entire community at risk. As a fourth time offender and given the egregious nature of the defendant’s behavior both during the incident question and while this trial was ongoing, it was imperative that he be removed from the community to ensure the safety of Harford County’s citizens. Our office will continue to pursue significant periods of incarceration for subsequent offenders of any crime that continuously put the citizens of our county at risk.”

Percell Holland, 42, of Edgewood, Maryland was sentenced to 12 years of incarceration on July 11, 2023, for Possession of a Firearm in a Drug Trafficking Crime, Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, and Illegal Possession of a Regulated Firearm following a guilty plea in the Circuit Court for Harford County.

On May 7, 2019, Senior Deputy Dean and members of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office’s Crime Suppression Unit were conducting surveillance of Holland and his residence in the 3100 block of Sweetbay Drive in Edgewood. Deputies observed what appeared to be drug transactions taking place at Edgewood Plaza and in the 2100 block of Pulaski Highway. Deputy First Class Ross conducted a traffic stop on Holland’s vehicle detecting the odor of marijuana. A search warrant was executed at Holland’s residence, and Deputy First Class Battee located a bookbag in a shed on the property with a loaded Keltec 9mm handgun, a loaded Taurus .40 caliber handgun, a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun, a digital scale, approximately five grams of cocaine, less than one gram of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, six suboxone strips, and two prescription bottles with Holland’s name. An unmarked pill bottle with 33 Xanax pills was found in the shed, and $4,205 in currency was located inside the residence where Holland stayed in the basement. Holland is prohibited from possessing regulated firearms due to a prior conviction for Fourth degree Burglary.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Holland was sentenced by the Honorable Yolanda L. Curtin to a total of 40 years suspending all but 12 years to serve. The sentence structure gave Holland 20 years suspending all but 5 years for the Possession of a Firearm in a Drug Trafficking crime to be served without the possibility of parole, and a consecutive 20 years suspending all but 7 years for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. Holland was also sentenced to a 5-year concurrent sentence for illegal possession of a regulated firearm. The firearms and $4,205 were forfeited as part of the plea. Upon release, Holland will be on supervised probation.

Ms. Healey thanks Deputy State’s Attorney David Ryden and Assistant State’s Attorney Jason Allen for prosecuting the case. “Our office remains consistent in our message to drug dealers that we will not tolerate drug distribution in Harford County, and if you are caught spreading this poison in our communities, you will receive substantial incarceration. I especially thank Senior Deputy Dean, Deputies Ross and Battee, and the Crime Suppression Unit for their investigation to rid our community of these illegal guns and for their interruption of this drug activity as a result of their strong police work. Their seizure of these guns and dangerous drugs very well may have saved a life.”

In 2021, legislation was passed through the Maryland Police Accountability Act, requiring all law enforcement officers in the State to wear and use Body Worn Camera devices to record their interactions while on duty. This legislation was designed to ensure accurate depictions of police encounters. The law was an unfunded mandate and placed an immense burden on the State’s Attorney’s Offices throughout Maryland. In just 2022 alone, the Office of the State’s Attorney for Harford County received nearly 12,000 hours of body worn camera footage. The footage from these body worn camera devices is evidence in all criminal and traffic cases, with the law requiring that the State’s Attorney’s Office watch and shield the footage to protect the privacy of the citizens being recorded. Failure to shield the footage prior to sending it to defense counsel through a requirement known as discovery, is a violation of the law and puts citizens and law enforcement officers at risk.

Prior to January 3, 2023, when Alison M. Healey was sworn in as Harford County State’s Attorney, the Office of the State’s Attorney for Harford County was not in compliance with the laws pertaining to Body Worn Camera footage, as unviewed, unshielded footage was regularly being disseminated. Over the last several months, Ms. Healey and her team have worked diligently to make immediate policy changes to ensure compliance with the law and the protection of our citizens’ privacy rights. Her team has worked countless hours viewing and shielding Body Worn Camera footage, often on nights and weekends, in addition to their already full-time assigned duties. Nearly every other county across the State had developed Body Worn Camera Units in their State’s Attorney’s Offices prior to 2023. It was clear that continuing to shoulder this immense burden without additional staff was unsustainable.

Ms. Healey made it an immediate priority to form Harford County’s first Body Worn Camera Unit and on July 5, 2023, the unit, consisting of six body worn camera technicians and one unit supervisor, reported for duty. Each of the six technicians will view, shield and send all of the body worn camera footage in criminal and traffic cases, viewing a minimum of 2000 minutes per week. The unit will ensure that everyone’s privacy rights are protected and that Harford County remains in compliance with the law. With additional law enforcement officers joining law enforcement agencies each year, it is expected that the amount of footage will only continue to grow.

Ms. Healey thanks her entire staff for their commitment and diligence over the last six months and stated that “it could not be more apparent how committed each and every one of our employees is to our mission, and the last six months has truly shown me how fortunate Harford County is to have such a dedicated team pursuing justice for all our citizens.” Ms. Healey also welcomes the new members of the Body Worn Camera Unit and looks forward to continuing to grow and shape the unit for the benefit of everyone that calls Harford County home.