FALLSTON MAN CONVICTED OF SECOND DEGREE RAPE

Garry Lamonte Pendleton, 52, of Fallston, Maryland was convicted of two counts of second-degree rape, false imprisonment, reckless endangerment, and two counts of second-degree assault, following a three-day jury trial on March 13, 2023, in the Circuit Court for Harford County. The charges are the result of an investigation by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office that Pendleton sexually assaulted an adult female victim in Fallston on July 8, 2022.

The victim testified at trial before the Honorable Kevin J. Mahoney that she sought a protective order against Pendleton on July 11, 2022, after Pendleton sexually assaulted her on July 8, 2022. The Sheriff’s Office investigated the complaint and determined that Pendleton initially threatened her with a firearm while inside of a vehicle parked at the Maryland State Police Bel Air Barracks. The victim was able to deescalate the situation but felt like she had no choice but to go back to her residence with him. While at the residence, the victim testified that Pendleton forced vaginal and anal sex on her. Several firearms, including a handgun registered to Pendleton, were located during a search of the residence by the Sheriff’s Office on July 13, 2022.

Assistant State’s Attorney Joel Muneses requested Judge Mahoney continue to hold Pendleton at the Harford County Detention Center without bail following the conviction. Pendleton faces up to twenty years’ incarceration for each count of second-degree rape, ten years for each count of second-degree assault, five years for reckless endangerment, and anything that is not cruel and unusual punishment for false imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for July 18, 2023.

State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey said after the jury’s verdict: “In just over two short months since I took office, this is the third sexual assault case that our office has taken to trial and received convictions. Yet another victim trusted our team of dedicated prosecutors and support staff to seek justice on their behalf. We will continue to work hard to serve victims and the citizens of Harford County by removing these violent predators from the community.”

Ms. Healey thanks Assistant State’s Attorney Joel Muneses for his hard work and advocacy in this matter and the Special Victims Unit of the State’s Attorney’s Office for their supportive role in preparing the case for trial. In addition, she thanks DFC Kacher and Det. DeFazio for their investigation leading to the arrest and conviction of a dangerous sexual offender.

Subsequent Offender Convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute

On March 8, 2023, Timothy Eugene Fisher, 51, of Port Deposit, Maryland was convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute: Cocaine and Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance: Cocaine following a two-day jury trial in the Circuit Court for Harford County.

Deputies testified before the Honorable Paul W. Ishak that a traffic stop was conducted on February 6, 2019, after a vehicle was observed passing a school bus on a double yellow, no passing zone. The vehicle had been observed earlier in the day by the Harford County Narcotics Task Force engaging in activity consistent with the sale of controlled dangerous substances (CDS). While approaching the vehicle, the stopping Deputy observed Fisher, the front seat passenger, making movements in the vehicle. While speaking with the occupants of the vehicle, the Deputy observed a black digital scale on the center console, prompting a request for a K-9 scan. Both occupants exited the vehicle. At that time, deputies observed a white powder substance in and around Fisher’s left nostril. Deputies attempted to take Fisher into custody, but he resisted. Fisher was ultimately restrained by deputies, and there was a positive K-9 alert on the vehicle. A search of the car revealed a digital scale and a white plastic bag containing numerous sandwich bags consistent with packaging cocaine. A search of Fisher’s person disclosed two additional plastic bags containing suspected cocaine. One of those bags contained ten (10) individual one gram bags of the substance. A third bag was recovered containing suspected cutting agent. The recovered CDS was submitted to the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division for testing and positively identified as cocaine. A law enforcement expert testified that the recovery of the scale, cutting agent, packaging materials, and large amounts of individually packaged CDS is consistent with intent to distribute.

The Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office has filed a Notice of Intent to Request Subsequent Offender Enhanced Penalties on this case, citing Fisher’s prior convictions for Possession with Intent to Distribute Narcotics in 2005 and Assault with Intent to Maim in 1990. Fisher faces a maximum sentence of forty (40) years in prison and fines of up to thirty thousand ($30,000) dollars.

The Honorable Paul W. Ishak ordered that Fisher remain out on bond pending sentencing which has been scheduled for July 5, 2023 in the Circuit Court for Harford County.

Following the verdict, State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey commented that a clear message is being sent to drug dealers that her administration has zero tolerance for drugs in Harford County. “Our office continues to send the message that we will not tolerate the distribution of this poison on our streets. If you distribute controlled dangerous substances in Harford County, we will make every effort to ensure you are incarcerated and that our community is safe.”

Ms. Healey would like to thank Senior Deputy Jackson, Sgt. Waldsmith, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office and the Narcotics Taskforce for their hard work in this case and their efforts every day to rid our community of these dangerous substances and the drug dealers that distribute them. She also commends Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew George for his hard work, preparation, and advocacy in this matter.

EDGEWOOD MAN CONVICTED OF FIRST DEGREE RAPE, ARMED ROBBERY, AND RELATED CHARGES

February 13, 2023, Devon Allen Odell Scott, 40, of Edgewood, Maryland, was convicted of First Degree Rape, Armed Robbery, First Degree Assault, Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Crime of Violence, Illegal Possession of a Regulated Firearm by a Prohibited Person, Wearing, Carrying or Transporting a Handgun in a Vehicle, False Imprisonment, Indecent Exposure, and Theft: $100 to $1500 following a jury trial in the Circuit Court for Harford County. The Harford County Sheriff’s Office investigated and charged Scott with sexually assaulting the 28-year-old victim after she provided him with a ride from Baltimore to the Edgewood area on August 5, 2019.

The victim testified before the Honorable Diane Adkins-Tobin that Scott flagged her down for ride in Baltimore, as she stated that she sometimes works as an unlicensed taxi service in her personal vehicle to earn extra money. Throughout the duration of the trip, Scott refused to commit to a specific house number or road, but asked to be taken to the Edgewood area. Upon arrival to Edgewood, Scott instructed the victim to pull over to a secluded road and displayed a gray semi¬automatic handgun telling the victim that he was not going to kill her, but that she was going to perform oral sex on him. He took money from her, as well as her driver’s license, cell phone, and keys. Scott then forced her to perform oral sex on him, placing the gun next to the passenger side door within his reach. Scott also told the victim to “do it right” and hit her in the head and face with his hands. Scott forced the victim to view pornographic videos on the victim’s cell phone during the incident to show her how he wanted the act to be completed and forced her head down. After sexually assaulting the victim, Scott permitted the victim to spit out his pre-ejaculate fluids, which was later collected for DNA evidence. Scott told the victim to wait ten minutes before leaving, and he would throw her belongings at a nearby stop sign. Following a thorough investigation by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, Scott was identified by the victim in a photo lineup, as well as by a positive latent fingerprint match from inside of the victim’s vehicle, and DNA evidence recovered from outside of the victim’s vehicle. Scott is further prohibited from possessing a firearm because of prior disqualifying convictions in Baltimore City for Armed Robbery and Robbery.

Judge Adkins-Tobin ordered that Scott be continued to be held without bail and will continue to be housed at the Division of Corrections in Jessup following his convictions. Scott faces up to life in prison for First Degree Rape, 25 years for Armed Robbery due to the filing of enhanced penalties, 25 years for First Degree Assault, 20 years for Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Crime of Violence with the first five years being mandatory without the possibility of parole, 5 years for Illegal Possession of a Regulated Firearm by a Prohibited Person, 3 years for Wearing, Carrying, or Transporting a Handgun in a Vehicle, and 3 years for Indecent Exposure. The remaining counts will merge into the other counts for purposes of sentencing. Sentencing in this matter will be scheduled for a later date.

Following the verdict, State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey stated, “My office is repeatedly proving to our citizens that we will fulfill our promise to hold violent offenders accountable. We will continue to work vigorously to incarcerate violent predators for as long as possible and remove them from our community. There are not adequate words to express the bravery the victim in this case demonstrated by reporting this horrific crime and testifying at trial in this case.”

Ms. Healey thanks Assistant State’s Attorney Angela Diehl for her hard work and advocacy in the prosecution of this case to obtain justice for the victim. The State’s Attorney’s Office would also like to thank Detective Moro, Detective Wilsynski, Sergeant Dietz, and Deputy First Class Jackson of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office for their thorough investigation resulting in this sexually violent offender being brought to justice.

FOREST HILL MAN CONVICTED OF SECOND DEGREE RAPE

On January 30, 2023, Steven Jay Friedman, 40, of Forest Hill, Maryland was convicted of Second Degree Rape, Sexual Offense in the Third Degree, Second Degree Assault, and Furnishing for or Allowing Underage Consumption following a bench trial in the Circuit Court for Harford County. The charges are the result of a Harford County Sheriff’s Office investigation, which found that Friedman lured a sixteen-year-old neighbor into his home and sexually assaulted her after providing her alcohol on February 18, 2022.

The victim testified during the trial before the Honorable Judge Yolanda L. Curtin that she regularly takes walks in the neighborhood and a resident, identified as Friedman, approached her at approximately 5:00 p.m., stating that he had been watching her take her walks and thought she was very attractive. Friedman invited the victim into his residence to provide her alcohol. While in the residence, Friedman reached under her shirt and bra and touched her breast. The victim testified that she was too intoxicated to say no. Friedman overcame her attempts to resist and performed oral sex on her while digitally penetrating her without her consent. During the incident, Friedman’s family came home, and Friedman interacted with them before escorting the victim out of the residence undetected. The victim preserved video evidence of Friedman providing her alcohol and confirming the sexual contact. Friedman was interviewed by members of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office’s Criminal Investigative Division and admitted to providing the victim alcohol and to the sexual contact.

The Honorable Judge Curtin remanded Friedman to the custody of the Harford County Detention Center following his convictions. Friedman faces up to 20 years of incarceration. Sentencing will be scheduled following the completion of a Pre-Sentence Investigation.

State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey stated after the verdict was pronounced by the Court: “The conviction of Steven Friedman for this heinous and predatory crime gives the victim of this case closure to a difficult chapter that no individual deserves, and especially not a child. We will be seeking a maximum sentence to ensure this sexual predator is removed from our community for the protection of other children and our citizens. I commend the victim and her family for reporting the assault and for the bravery she exhibited by testifying at trial.”

Ms. Healey thanks Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew George for his hard work on this case for the last year and for taking the matter to trial to seek justice for this victim. Ms. Healey further thanks Deputy First Class Mansell, Detective Sergent, and the Harford County Sheriff’s Office’s Criminal Investigative Division for their efforts in thoroughly investigating the case.

BALTIMORE COUNTY DRUG DEALER CONVICTED OF POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE COCAINE FOLLOWING TWO DAY JURY TRIAL

Bruce Vincent Tran, 51, of Rosedale, Maryland was convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Possession of Cocaine, and Possession of Heroin on January 20, 2023, following a two-day jury trial in the Circuit Court for Harford County. The charges stemmed from an investigation of Tran who was at the Motel 6 in Edgewood on April 1, 2021.

Tran’s car was known to be involved in an ongoing drug investigation by members of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Crime Suppression Unit and was seen engaging in activity consistent with the sale of drugs. Members of the Crime Suppression Unit followed Tran’s vehicle, stopping it for failing to use a left turn signal while turning onto northbound Route 24 from Edgewood Road. K-9 Rocco alerted on the vehicle for the recent presence of drugs, and it was searched. Tran was searched at the Harford County Sheriff’s Office’s Southern Precinct and found to have two bags secreted in his pants. One bag contained 40 small bags of crack cocaine, and the other bag contained 8 capsules of heroin and fentanyl. No paraphernalia associated with drug use was found on Tran or his car.

The Honorable Kevin J. Mahoney remanded Tran to the custody of the Harford County Detention Center after conviction at the request of Deputy State’s Attorney David Ryden, where Tran will remain while he awaits sentencing. Ryden cited Tran’s previous criminal history for Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Dangerous Substances and a pending indictment for the possession of a large amount of drugs in the Baltimore County Circuit Court that is set for trial on April 10, 2023. Tran faces up to twenty years’ incarceration for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and one year for Possession of Heroin on the Harford County case.

State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey commented that her administration has immediately begun working with her office’s law enforcement partners in securing convictions and punishment for drug dealers, and all criminals generally, since taking office on January 3, 2023. “Through this conviction, just 17 days after taking office, our office is sending a swift and certain message to anyone that plans to sell drugs in Harford County or to bring drugs from other jurisdictions to Harford County to sell that in Harford County, you will face trial and be incarcerated.”

Ms. Healey would like to thank Deputy First Class Ross, Senior Deputy First Class Dean, Deputy First Class Weilert, and the Harford County Sheriff’s Office’s Crime Suppression Unit for their effort in investigating this case, as well as Deputy State’s Attorney David Ryden for his prompt attention, preparation, and advocacy in this case. Their combined efforts led to Mr. Tran’s conviction in this case. Sentencing is scheduled in this matter for March 15, 2023 at 2:30 p.m.

THE INVESTITURE OF ALISON M. HEALEY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – January 3, 2023 will forever be a historic day in Harford County, as Alison M. Healey was sworn in as the first ever female State’s Attorney. Ms. Healey secured an overwhelming victory against the Republican incumbent in the primary election held on July 19, 2022, by a more than two to one margin. During her investiture held in the Circuit Court for Harford County, Ms. Healey emphasized the historic place she now holds but maintained that “…male or female, I was the most qualified and best candidate for the job, and I could not be more blessed that the citizens of this county confirmed that definitively with their votes.”

Throughout her campaign, Ms. Healey ran on the platform of restoring law and order in Harford County, repairing the relationships between the State’s Attorney’s Office and law enforcement, and being a “champion for victims in our county.” During the ceremony she renewed those commitments. “I can assure you that when the men and women of law enforcement work so diligently, as they always do, to bring cases to the court for prosecution, our office will always strive to hold offenders accountable to our fullest potential… We will ensure that every victim in this county feels compassion, is prepared for every step and phase of their case and knows that they always come first.” Ms. Healey went on to highlight her lifelong history in Harford County and committed to spending the next four years ensuring “…that our County remains a safe place for all our citizens.”

Baltimore Man Convicted of First Degree Murder

MEDIA RELEASE
DATE: December 22, 2022
RE: Conviction and Sentencing of Milton Mondowney, III

(Bel Air, Maryland) — Albert J. Peisinger, Jr., State’s Attorney for Harford County, has announced the conviction and sentencing of Milton Mondowney, III, 31, from Baltimore, Maryland, for murder in the first degree and use of a firearm in commission of a felony and crime of violence.

On Monday, May 30, 2022 at 5:23 a.m., Harford County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to 1904 North Fountain Green Road, Apartment 203, in Bel Air, Maryland, for a reported shooting. Upon arrival, deputies located Corey Samuels, 23, deceased as a result of multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and head. Detectives responded to the scene and began an investigation. Witness interviews and surveillance from the apartment complex revealed that Milton Mondowney, III, entered the apartment and shot Corey Samuels multiple times.

On December 14, 2022, Milton Mondowney, III, pled guilty to murder in the first degree and use of a firearm in commission of a felony and crime of violence. Following victim impact statements made by Mr. Samuels’ parents and siblings, the Honorable Kevin Mahoney sentenced Mr. Mondowney to life suspend all but forty years to serve for the first-degree murder of Corey Samuels, and a concurrent twenty years suspend all but five years without parole to serve for the use of a firearm in commission of a felony and crime of violence. Upon completion of those sentences, Mr. Mondowney will be subject to five years of supervised probation.

“Senseless acts of violence in our communities will not be tolerated,” said Harford County State’s Attorney Albert J. Peisinger, Jr. “I am very proud of the work that my office and the Sheriff’s Office did to hold Mr. Mondowney accountable for this tragedy in the name of pursuing justice for the victim and his family.”

Mr. Peisinger expressed gratitude to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office for their response and thorough investigation, as well as to Assistant State’s Attorney Charles Fitzpatrick, whose diligence and advocacy led to the conviction of Mr. Mondowney.

Harford County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison

December 21, 2022
Contact MARCIA LUBIN at (410) 209-4854
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
www.justice.gov/usao/md

HARFORD COUNTY MAN SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR HIS PARTICIPATION IN A DRUG DISTRIBUTION CONSPIRACY

Defendant, Who was Previously Convicted of Drug Trafficking, and a Co-Conspirator Were Convicted After an Eight-Day Federal Trial

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Che Jaron Durbin, age 44, of Aberdeen, Maryland, on December 19, 2022, to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine and for two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, in connection with his participation in a drug trafficking organization distributing cocaine and crack cocaine in Harford County, Maryland.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Harford County State’s Attorney Albert J. Peisinger, Jr.; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division; Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office; and the Harford County Drug Task Force, a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, comprised of members of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, the Aberdeen Police Department, the Bel Air Police Department, and the Havre de Grace Police Department.

According to evidence presented at the eight-day trial, in May 2019, members of the Harford County Drug Task Force were investigating Durbin, who was suspected of drug trafficking in the Harford County area. Witnesses testified that on May 17, 2019, a U.S. Postal Inspector notified detectives that a suspicious package was en route to Durbin’s mother’s apartment in Aberdeen, Maryland. Detectives watched as a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier delivered the parcel to Durbin, who took it into the apartment. A short time later, a woman, later identified as co-defendant Jameka Cara Thompson, left the apartment with the parcel and drove to her home. Law enforcement detained Thompson and obtained a search warrant for her vehicle. The parcel was found to contain one kilogram of compressed cocaine. Further investigation revealed that co-defendant Jack Anderson from Tucson, Arizona was the sender of the package.

On January 22, 2020, law enforcement learned from U.S. Postal Inspectors that Durbin sent a parcel from Havre de Grace, Maryland, addressed to Anderson in Tucson, Arizona. A search warrant was obtained for the parcel after a K9 gave a positive alert. The parcel contained $82,300 in cash inside a wireless headphones box.

In February 2020, as part of the investigation, law enforcement intercepted Durbin’s communications, as well as those of Anderson, co-defendant Terrell Walton, and other co-defendants to whom Durbin supplied cocaine and crack cocaine. The evidence at trial demonstrated that Walton obtained cocaine from Durbin, which Walton then sold to a network of individuals in Harford County. Intercepted communications between Durbin and Walton included discussions regarding the amounts of drugs and the price, often using coded language.

According to trial testimony, in May 2020, law enforcement surveilled Durbin meeting with Anderson at a Tucson, Arizona hotel. Soon after the meeting, Durbin picked Thompson up at the Tucson Airport and drove her back to his hotel room. Durbin flew back to Maryland the next day and Thompson ultimately obtained a bulk supply of cocaine from Anderson on Durbin’s behalf. Thompson drove cross-country from Arizona to Harford County, where she was arrested on May 12, 2020. Law enforcement searched her vehicle, seizing 1.4 kilograms of cocaine. Durbin was also arrested. According to trial testimony, over the course of the conspiracy Thompson made at least eight similar trips on Durbin’s behalf, transporting almost 40 kilograms of cocaine to Maryland for Durbin to distribute.

Co-defendant Terrell Darnell Walton, age 36, of Delaware, was also convicted at trial for the drug conspiracy and was sentenced on September 23, 2022, to 13 years in federal prison. Co-defendant Jack Anderson IV, age 46, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced to 126 months in federal prison in December 2021, after Anderson entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Co-defendants Jameka Cara Thompson, age 42, of Abingdon, Maryland, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison; Gerrick Devlon Jackson, age 40 of Havre de Grace, Maryland, was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison; and Michael Ronnell Wells, age 38, of Forest Hill, Maryland, was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison, for their roles in the conspiracy.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office, the DEA, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, and the Harford County Drug Task Force for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Romano, who prosecuted the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Edgewood Woman Receives Four Consecutive Life Sentences Plus Twenty Years from May 2019 Arson

(Bel Air, Maryland) – Albert J. Peisinger, Jr., State’s Attorney for Harford County, has announced Judge Paul Ishak has sentenced Bobbie Sue Hodge to four consecutive life sentences plus twenty years. The Defendant received a life sentence for each felony murder, five years for the assault in the second degree on Brenda Ayres, five years for the assault in the second degree on Dustin Gerhart, and ten years for the assault in the second degree on Marquise St. John, who suffered a broken ankle and arm from jumping out of the third-floor window to escape the fire.
A Harford County jury found Bobbie Sue Hodge, 63, of Edgewood, Maryland, guilty of arson in the first degree, four counts of felony murder, and three counts of assault in the second degree stemming from an arson that occurred on May 9, 2019, at 1862 Simons Court in Edgewood, Maryland. Ms. Hodge was facing a maximum penalty of four life sentences plus 30 years.

On May 9, 2019, at 2:28 a.m., a third-floor occupant of the dwelling, Ernest Lee, called 911 to report a fire at 1862 Simons Court. Members of the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department were the first engine to respond to the fire. By 2:35 a.m., when the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department arrived, the third floor of the townhouse was completely engulfed in fire. Abingdon Volunteer Fire Department, Bel Air Volunteer Fire Department, Aberdeen Proving Ground Fire Department, and Baltimore County-Kingsville Volunteer Fire Department also responded to the fire.

Ernest Lee, Dionne Hill, and Kimberly Shupe who were all on the third floor, perished in the fire. Another third-floor occupant was able to escape the fire by jumping out of his third-floor bedroom window. He sustained a broken ankle and arm. The Defendant and two other basement occupants were able to escape to safety. Mary Elizabeth Kennedy who was living on the second floor was rescued by fire personnel and transported to an area hospital for treatment of her burns. Ms. Kennedy later died from her injuries on January 22, 2020.

The Maryland State Fire Marshal, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosions, and the Harford County Sheriff’s Office conducted a joint investigation of the fire. After interviewing numerous witnesses including the occupants of the house, neighbors, and the Defendant, review of the 911 calls, and consulting with experts at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosions, the Defendant was arrested for arson and murder.

“This tragedy shocked our Harford County community,” said Mr. Peisinger. “It is my hope that this verdict and now sentence is a step towards healing for the surviving victims and the families of those who lost loved ones.” Mr. Peisinger thanked the Maryland State Fire Marshal, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosions, and the Harford County Sheriff’s Office for their joint efforts in the investigation and arrest of Bobbie Sue Hodge. He also thanked Assistant State’s Attorneys Angela Diehl and Timothy Doory for their extraordinary advocacy that resulted in the verdict.

Former Baltimore Police SWAT Officer Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child to Produce Child Pornography

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Donald Hildebrandt, age 52, of Bel Air, Maryland, yesterday to 25 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for sexual exploitation of a child to produce child pornography, and possession of child pornography. The indictment was returned on June 3, 2021. Hildebrandt is a former Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) officer with the Baltimore Police Department.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler; Lieutenant Paul Marziale of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Director of the Harford County Child Advocacy Center; and Harford County State’s Attorney Albert J. Peisinger, Jr.

According to his plea agreement, between 2018 and 2020, Hildebrandt purchased at least three “spy” cameras, which he hid in a shared bathroom in his home to secretly record minors showering and using the bathroom. Hundreds of videos of minors in various stages of undress were made, and the minors who were recorded were between the ages of three and 16. At least 10 children were recorded in videos taken in the bathroom and dozens of videos were produced that depicted children with exposed genitals, including at least five minors, four of whom were under 12 years of age.

As detailed in the plea agreement, Hildebrandt placed the cameras slightly above the seat of the toilet and at other location at a height designed to capture the victims’ genitals while getting in and out of the shower, and while using the toilet. In order to record as many victims as possible, visitors were instructed to change clothes only in the bathroom and not in the bedrooms. The images recorded in the videos were located on Hildebrandt’s computer which was seized during a search on October 20, 2021. Additional images depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct were found on other electronic media seized during the search.

One day prior to the execution of the search warrant, Hildebrandt was notified that he was the subject of a child exploitation investigation, through a witness and when he was contacted by a member of Child Protective Services. Sometime after that, but before the execution of the search warrant, Hildebrandt admitted that he performed a factory reset of his tablet. Investigators also did not locate any “spy” cameras in the residence.

Finally, it was also proved that Hildebrandt sexually abused a minor, demanding that the victim engage in sex acts with him.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, the Maryland State Police, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, the Harford County Child Advocacy Center, and the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Mary Setzer, who prosecuted the federal case.