Press Releases

State v. Richard William Ellis, C-08-CR-24-000749

LA PLATA, MD—Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, Charles County Circuit Court Judge Makeba Gibbs sentenced Richard William Ellis, 48, of Newburg, to 5 years in prison with all but 142 days suspended for 19 counts of Second-Degree Assault. Ellis had already served 142 days in custody prior to sentencing and received credit for time served. As a part of his sentence, Ellis is currently on supervised probation for five years and was ordered to remove all firearms from his residence.

On April 3, 2025, Ellis pleaded guilty to the aforementioned charges.

On September 23, 2024, officers interviewed several juvenile victims who reported that an individual, identified as Ellis, pulled out a handgun and pointed it toward the rear of the school bus.

An investigation revealed that the incident occurred on September 20, 2024, as a school bus transporting students from Piccowaxen Middle School was dropping off a juvenile relative of Ellis near Waverly Point Road in Newburg. At drop-off, another student on the bus made an insulting remark toward Ellis’ relative.

In response, Ellis pointed a handgun toward the bus and began walking toward the bus in an aggressive manner. The bus, which was fully occupied at the time of the incident, was able to leave the area safely, and no physical injuries were reported. Officers responded to Ellis’ house and recovered a handgun that fit the description that the victims provided.

On December 23, 2024, Ellis was apprehended.

During sentencing, Assistant State’s Attorney Charmayne Clark, asking for a higher sentence, stated that Ellis “terrorized a bus full of children.”

Assistant State’s Attorney John Stackhouse furthered that “He is the adult and to do that to a bunch of kids on a bus – it is so wrong. That was a really bad thing to do.”

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State v. Elijah Bernard Barnes, C-08-CR-23-000078

LA PLATA, MD—Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Monday, May 12, 2025, Charles County Circuit Court Judge Monise A. Stephenson sentenced Elijah Bernard Barnes, 20, of Waldorf, to 45 years in prison for the Second-Degree Murder of Rajon Lateef Jackson, III, as well as related charges.

On March 7, 2025, a Charles County jury convicted Barnes of the aforementioned charges.

On January 13, 2023, officers responded to Harvest Fish Place in Waldorf for the report of a shooting. When officers arrived, they located the 17-year-old victim on the street suffering from four gunshot wounds to his face and neck. The victim, identified as Rajon Lateef Jackson, III, was transported to the hospital; however, he, unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries.

A witness at the scene reported to officers that Jackson had exited his school bus and was walking toward his residence. The suspect, later identified as Barnes, called Jackson over to his vehicle. Jackson began making his way to the car when Barnes shot him four times. Barnes then fled the scene. During the shooting, Barnes was seated in an older model silver Toyota Corolla with a missing hub cap on the front driver’s side.

Surveillance video from a nearby gas station shows the Toyota Corolla, with the missing side hub cap, entering the gas station and parking at a pump moments before the murder. The driver and only occupant, Barnes, entered the business and was captured on video surveillance.

Approximately three minutes after leaving the gas station, personally-owned surveillance cameras from the neighborhood captured the Toyota Corolla in the area of the shooting. Barnes matched the witness’ description of the shooter.

After the killing, investigators were able to identify Barnes, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Barnes, who had fled the State after the murder, was located and arrested in Rocky Mount, North Carolina five days after the killing.

At sentencing, Assistant State’s Attorney John Stackhouse asked the judge for 65 years in prison. He told the judge that the victim “had a lot of people in his life that really cared about him. Rajon’s father moved Rajon here to Waldorf for a safer environment and that is just heartbreaking. A month before his murder, [Rajon] was told that he was going to be a dad. He’s never ever going to be able to meet his daughter. There is real generational trauma in this case – a little girl who will never know her dad, parents who lost a child, grandparents who lost a grandson.”

He furthered that the incident “traumatized the whole neighborhood. He is clearly a danger – executing someone in the middle of the day, when he gets off a school bus, steps away from his home. It just doesn’t get any worse than that.”

 
Sentence
Count 1
• Second-Degree Murder
• 40 years

Count 2
• Use of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence
• 20 years with all but 5 years suspended
• Consecutive to Count 1

Count 3
• Possession of a Regulated Firearm Being Under 21
• 5 years with all suspended
• Consecutive to Counts 1 and 2

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LA PLATA, MD— Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, advises that on Friday, April 25, 2025, the Grand Jury for Charles County returned an indictment for Keycy Barrera-Rosa, age 24, of Waldorf, for the murder of Lesbia Ramirez Guerra. The indictment charges Barrera-Rosa with First-Degree Murder, Second-Degree Murder, and Making a False Report.

On April 2, 2025, Barrera-Rosa contacted the Charles County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) to report that his girlfriend, Lesbia Ramirez Guerra, was missing from their Waldorf residence. During the investigation, detectives reviewed video surveillance showing the victim entering their residence on March 31, 2025, but never exiting.

Witnesses reported that during the early morning hours of April 1, 2025, Barrera-Rosa and the victim were in a violent argument.

During the afternoon of April 1, 2025, video surveillance captured Barrera-Rosa grabbing a large plastic bin from a shed in his backyard and carrying it to the back of the house. Barrera-Rosa then drove his truck to the back of the house.

Cellular tower data records indicate that Barrera-Rosa traveled to Prince George’s County to meet with his uncle, Rolvin Barrera-Barrera, at a construction worksite. Further records indicate that Barrera-Rosa and his uncle traveled to a secluded, densely wooded intersection in the area of Cedarville State Park.

Barrera-Barrera was interviewed by detectives and reported that on April 1, 2025, Barrera-Rosa told him that he had killed his girlfriend by strangulation and asked for help with hiding the body. He further stated that when Barrera-Rosa traveled to his work site in Prince George’s County, the victim was already deceased and in a plastic bin in the back of Barrera-Rosa’s vehicle. Barrera-Barrera told detectives that he and Barrera-Rosa disposed of the victim’s body by burying her in a wooded area near Cedarville State Park. On April 18, 2025, CCSO officers located Ramirez Guerra’s body in a plastic bin buried at a location described by Barrera-Barrera and in proximity to where phone records indicated Barrera-Rosa and his uncle parked their vehicles on April 1, 2025.

On April 5, 2025, Barrera-Rosa was arrested and detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for unrelated charges. On April 22, 2025, he was transported by ICE and turned over to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. He is being held without bond at the Charles County Detention Center.

Barrera-Barrera has been charged as an Accessory After the Fact to Murder in Prince George’s County and is also being held without bond in that jurisdiction.

The charges against Barrera-Rosa are allegations and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

State v. Adam Marks, C-08-CR-24-000423

LA PLATA, MD—Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West sentenced Adam Marks, 37, to 5 years in prison for four counts of Soliciting Child Porn. Marks will also have to register as a Tier II Sex Offender.

On March 17, 2025, Marks entered a guilty plea to the above-mentioned charges.

On April 26, 2024, a detective with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office made contact with the juvenile victim at the Waldorf District Station. The victim reported that the suspect, later identified as Adam Marks, asked him on numerous occasions to send inappropriate pictures of himself.

An investigation revealed that the then 12-year-old victim joined a community chat room on a popular video game where Marks was soliciting children to reach out to him directly for friendship. In response, the victim sent Marks a private message within the game. Marks, under the guise of a female player, and the victim exchanged phone numbers. When the victim called Marks’ number, he heard a male voice, but Marks quickly hung up.

Marks then began texting the victim and asking him for inappropriate pictures on multiple occasions. The victim asked Marks to delete his number and not contact him anymore; however, Marks continued to send requests for inappropriate pictures and threatened the victim that he would give his number to other people to harass him if he did not comply.

The victim’s mother witnessed the victim acting suspiciously with his phone and upon questioning, the victim told his mother what was happening. The victim’s mother then contacted the police.
At sentencing, Assistant State’s Attorney Ed Stickles told the judge, “This act could have easily progressed, so the State has significant concerns about the protection of the community.”

Before sentencing Marks, the Honorable Judge West stated, “It is shameful that a mother has to be so worried about their children and their participation in kids’ games. What’s even worse is that her worry was correct.”

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State v. Renee Daytona Roberts, C-08-CR-24-000055

LA PLATA, MD—Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Thursday, March 27, 2025, Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West sentenced Renee Daytona Roberts, 45, to 15 years in prison for First-Degree Child Abuse: Severe Injury. Roberts will be on supervised probation for five years upon release.

On March 13, 2025, Roberts pled guilty to the aforementioned charge.

On January 8, 2024, officers with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to a Patient First in Waldorf for the report of a child being assaulted. At the scene, officers observed an adult female, later identified as Renee Daytona Roberts, pinned down by bystanders on the asphalt. The juvenile victim, who was 7 years old at the time, was located safe in another bystander’s vehicle. The victim was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital where it was discovered that she suffered two skull fractures and bleeding in the brain from the incident.

Roberts was combative with officers; however, she was apprehended at the scene of the incident.
An investigation revealed that Roberts picked the victim above her head and slammed her onto the concrete in the parking lot of Patient First. Bystanders witnessed the event and intervened, ultimately separating Roberts and the victim until officers arrived. During the course of the investigation, Roberts admitted to the abuse and stated it was because the victim could not remember a religious prayer in its entirety. The incident was also caught on surveillance video.

During sentencing, the Assistant State’s Attorney assigned to the case told the judge that the incident was “quite frankly unimaginable and quite shocking to see.” She furthered, “Certainly, there needs to be a heavy punishment for this and there needs to be protection of this child.”

Before sentencing Roberts, the Honorable Judge West stated, “The damage is tremendous. The level of sadness is tremendous. The video is shocking.”

Sentence
Count 1
• First-Degree Child Abuse: Severe Injury
o 25 Years with all but 15 years suspended

5 Years of Supervised Probation

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State v. Justin Michael Lachenmayer, C-08-CR-23-000692

LA PLATA, MD— Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Thursday, March 13, 2025, Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West sentenced Justin Michael Lachenmayher, 39, of Waldorf, to 10 years in prison for the Manslaughter and Second-Degree Assault of John Carl Lachenmayer. Lachenmayer will also be on supervised probation for five years upon release.

Lachenmayer entered a guilty plea to the aforementioned charges on March 10, 2025.

On September 8, 2023, officers from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in Waldorf in reference to a domestic assault. Upon arrival, they located 71-year-old victim John Carl Lachenmayer on the floor with difficulty breathing. The victim told officers that his son, Justin Lachenmayer, punched him while he was sitting on the couch, pushed him to the ground, and then kicked his stomach. Emergency Medical Services also responded to the scene of the incident and observed multiple bruises on the victim’s body. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he, unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries.

Justin Lachenmayer was also present at the scene of the incident and admitted to the altercation with his father. An investigation revealed that the assault occurred during an argument between Lachenmayer and his father about Lachenmayer using his father’s credit card. After assaulting his father, Lachenmayer called 9-1-1 to report his father having trouble breathing. The victim suffered a lacerated spleen and internal bleeding.

At sentencing, Assistant State’s Attorney John Stackhouse told the judge, “This is how the [victim] ends his golden years, pushed to the floor, punched, and kicked in his stomach. It’s just tragic; just a sad situation.”

Before sentencing Lachenmayer, the Honorable Judge H. James West said, “This case is very unique. This doesn’t make any sense to me. The sad thing about being betrayed is it never comes from your enemies.” He furthered, “In his last days and months, he’s looking out for his son, who it appears, at least for a long time, hasn’t looked out for him – and that’s really, really sad. In the end, he was betrayed. It’s truly a tragic way to go at the hands of someone who should be looking out for you.”
 

Sentence

Count 1- Manslaughter
• 10 years

Count 3- Second-Degree Assault
• 10 years with all suspended
• Consecutive to Count 1

5 Years Supervised Probation

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State v. Elijah Bernard Barnes, C-08-CR-23-000078

LA PLATA, MD—Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Friday, March 7, 2025, a Charles County jury, after a 5-day trial, convicted Elijah Bernard Barnes, 20, of the Second-Degree Murder of Rajon Lateef Jackson, III, as well as related charges.  

On January 13, 2023, officers responded to Harvest Fish Place in Waldorf for the report of a shooting. When officers arrived, they located the 17-year-old victim on the street suffering from 4 gunshot wounds to his face and neck. The victim, identified as Rajon Lateef Jackson, III, was transported to the hospital; however, he, unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries.

A witness at the scene reported to officers that before the shooting, Jackson had exited his school bus and was walking toward his residence. The suspect, later identified as Barnes, called Jackson over to his vehicle. Jackson began making his way to the car when Barnes shot him four times before fleeing from the scene. During the shooting, Barnes was seated in an older model silver Toyota Corolla with a missing hub cap on the front driver’s side.

Surveillance video from a nearby gas station shows the Toyota Corolla, with the missing side hub cap, entering the gas station and parking at a pump moments before the murder. The driver and only occupant, Barnes, entered the business and was captured on video surveillance.

Approximately three minutes after leaving the gas station, personally-owned surveillance cameras from the neighborhood captured the Toyota Corolla in the area of the shooting.  Barnes matched the witness’ description of the shooter.

After the killing, investigators were able to identify Barnes, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.  Barnes, who had fled the State after the murder, was located and arrested in Rocky Mount, North Carolina 5 days after the killing.

A sentencing date has been scheduled for May 2, 2025. Barnes faces 68 years in prison.

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State v. Stacy Jermain Barksdale, C-08-CR-24-000483

LA PLATA, MD— Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Friday, February 28, 2025, Charles County Circuit Court Judge Makeba Gibbs sentenced Stacy Jermain Barksdale, 39, of Waldorf, to 12 years in prison for the Gross Vehicular Manslaughter of Gary Alan Cooper. Barksdale will also be on supervised probation for five years upon release.

Barksdale pleaded guilty to the aforementioned charge on January 9, 2025.

On April 22, 2024, troopers from the Maryland State Police along with members of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to the intersection of Route 301 and Acton Lane for a two-vehicle collision. Upon arrival, they located a silver GMC Envoy with heavy front-end damage at rest in the intersection. They also observed a white Ford Expedition with heavy front-end damage at rest against a guardrail. Troopers made contact with Barksdale, who had observable signs of impairment. Barksdale was transported to the University of Maryland Capital Regional Health Center for treatment of his injuries. The operator of the Ford Expedition, Denise Kesterson, was also transported to the hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Unfortunately, Cooper, who was a passenger in the Expedition, succumbed to the injuries he sustained from the accident.

An investigation revealed that the GMC Envoy, operated by Barksdale, was traveling southbound on Route 301 in the right turn lane. The Ford Expedition, occupied by Cooper and Kesterson, was traveling on Acton Lane and in the process of crossing Route 301 to continue on Acton Lane. Barksdale failed to obey traffic laws and ran a red light at a high rate of speed with his vehicle, ultimately striking the front passenger side of the Expedition, where Cooper was seated. The force of the crash pushed the Expedition into a guardrail.

Toxicology results from a hospital blood test showed Barksdale had methamphetamine, marijuana, and a .15 alcohol content in his system.

During sentencing, Assistant State’s Attorney Cody Ballard, asking for the maximum sentence of 15 years, noting Barksdale’s previous history of multiple driving impaired convictions, stated that he had “been given multiple opportunities to correct his behavior – This time, he killed somebody.”

A loved one of Cooper present at the sentencing delivered a victim impact statement to the judge, stating, “Gary was given a death sentence. We were given a life sentence. The sentence that the defendant faces doesn’t compare.”

The Honorable Judge Gibbs told Barksdale, “As a repeat offender, I can’t think of anything more dangerous than someone unaware of the need not to drive after consuming alcohol.”
 
Sentencing

Count 1: Gross Vehicular Manslaughter
• 15 years with all but 12 years suspended
• 5 years of supervised probation

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State v. Katravien Tyrieus Vercher, C-08-CR-23-000463

LA PLATA, MD—Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Friday, February 7, 2025, Charles County Circuit Court Judge Makeba Gibbs sentenced Katravien Tyrieus Vercher, 25, of Waldorf, to 40 years in prison for four counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. Vercher will be on supervised probation for five years upon release from prison. He is also required to register as a Tier 3 Sex Offender for life.

On September 25, 2024, a Charles County jury convicted Vercher of the above-listed charges.

On March 22, 2023, officers with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in Waldorf for the report of child sexual abuse. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the juvenile victims’ mother. The mother reported that Vercher sexually abused three of her children over the course of three years.
An investigation revealed that Vercher moved in with the victims and their mother at their Waldorf residence in 2020. Vercher began abusing the victims within a few months of moving in. The victims were 5, 6, and 10 years old when the incidents first began. In the first incident, Vercher asked the 10-year-old victim if she wanted to play a game, and she responded yes. Vercher then began making sexual advances toward the victim. The sexual contact with the 10-year-old victim continued repeatedly over the course of three years and progressed in nature. He also came up with a code phrase to use with the victim when they were around other people, indicating he wanted sexual contact.

Vercher engaged in sexual acts with the other two minor victims as well. On one occasion, the two youngest victims were present during the sexual act at the same time.
One of the victims eventually reported the abuse to their mother, who then called the police.
During the course of the investigation, Vercher admitted to making comments about the 10-year-old victim’s appearance and being attracted to what she was wearing. He also admitted to slapping her buttocks.

At sentencing, Assistant State’s Attorney Alexa Casavecchia asked for 60 years, stating that the “scars are always going to be there” for the victims.

Before sentencing Vercher, the Honorable Judge Gibbs stated, “It was an abuse of trust what happened to them. This grooming took some time. You abused their trust. You abused the trust of their mother who left them in your care.”

 
Sentence

Count 1 – Sexual Abuse of a Minor
• 25 years with all but 15 years suspended

Count 3 – Sexual Abuse of a Minor – Continuing Course of Conduct
• 30 years with all but 15 years suspended
• Consecutive to Count 1

Count 5 – Sexual Abuse of a Minor: House/Fam
• 25 years with all but 10 years suspended
• Consecutive to Counts 1 and 3

Count 6 – Sexual Abuse of a Minor: House/Fam
• 25 years, all suspended
• Consecutive to Counts 1, 3, and 5

5 years of supervised probation upon release

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State v. Jahad Karim Frierson, C-08-CR-21-000327

LA PLATA, MD—Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Thursday, February 6, 2025, Charles County Circuit Court Judge Donine Carrington Martin sentenced Jahad Karim Frierson, 27, of Waldorf, to 35 years in prison for the Second-Degree Murder of Leon Nathaniel Inabinett, Jr. Frierson was also sentenced to a consecutive 1,067 days in prison for violating the probation of an unrelated incident.

On December 3, 2024, a Charles County jury convicted Frierson of the above-mentioned charge.
On June 20, 2021, officers responded to the Bryans Road Firehouse in the 3000 block of Livingston Road in Bryans Road. Upon arrival, officers discovered victim Inabinett suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in a hallway inside the firehouse. The victim was transported to a local hospital but, unfortunately, was pronounced deceased as a result of his injuries.

An investigation revealed that the victim attended a birthday party at the firehouse before the incident. Frierson had an issue with the victim due to a prior incident. After learning the victim’s location, Frierson contacted co-defendant Ryan Lamont Bell to help confront the victim. Frierson and Bell rode to the firehouse together and hid in bushes waiting for the victim to come out. At the end of the party, the victim was carrying a tray of cookies to put in a vehicle in the rear parking lot. Frierson and Bell approached the victim while he was outside. Frierson brandished a handgun given to him by Bell, struck the victim and then shot him several times. After the shooting was over, both Frierson and Bell fled in the same vehicle. The victim was able to make it inside the firehouse to try to get help but collapsed in the hallway.

An ankle monitor that Bell was wearing for a separate incident indicated that Bell’s location was at the firehouse at the time of the murder. Cell phone records also place Bell and Frierson in the area at the time of the murder. Surveillance video depicts the two confronting the victim and running away.

The handgun used to kill the victim was located in Bell’s vehicle. Bell reported to investigators that he took the gun after the murder and cleaned it.

On November 14, 2022, Bell entered a guilty plea for Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder and Use of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence. On December 19, 2024, he was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

During the sentencing for Frierson, Assistant State’s Attorney Constance Kopelman asked the judge for the maximum sentence of 40 years, stating that Frierson “needs to be prevented from committing any other act like this for as long as possible. He didn’t care that he was on probation when he committed this murder.” She furthered, “The facts are just so brutal. Leon did not see this coming. The defendant ambushed him, and Leon had nothing to protect himself with. He was carrying cookies.” She told the judge that Leon’s future and potential was “all extinguished by the defendant. The defendant destroyed the victim’s right to the life he chose. In a society, we cannot tolerate this senseless gun violence. The defendant showed no mercy, no humanity. It is senseless. It is not okay, and it needs to be punished.”

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