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State v. Damion Anqwan Wilson, C-08-CR-24-000094

LA PLATA, MD—Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Friday, November 1, 2024, Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West sentenced Damion Anqwan Wilson, 42, of La Plata, to 20 years in prison for First-Degree Assault, Possession of a Firearm with a Felony Conviction, and Possession of Cocaine.

On August 21, 2024, Wilson pleaded guilty to the aforementioned charges.

On January 17, 2024, officers responded to the Dash In located in the 600 block of Charles Street in La Plata after being waved down by the victim. An investigation revealed that Wilson and the victim, who were unknown to each other, made contact while at the Dash In. At some point during the interaction, Wilson brandished a firearm, pointed it at the victim, then walked away. The victim called the police after the incident and reported to officers what Wilson looked like.

Officers located Wilson near the gas station. Wilson began to flee from officers, who then gave chase on foot. Wilson dropped his weapon while trying to escape. After a struggle, officers were able to apprehend Wilson.  

In September 2022, Wilson was paroled after serving time for the second-degree murder of Gayle A. Cooke. Cooke worked at the State’s Attorney’s Office for Charles County as a Victim Witness Coordinator. Cooke was shot and killed in 2000 by Wilson during a domestic dispute that Wilson was having with Cooke’s daughter.

During sentencing, Assistant State’s Attorney John Stackhouse told the judge, “I’ve been doing this job for a very long time; there are some cases that pop up and are very concerning. This is one of those cases.” He furthered that Wilson did not take “responsibility for the horrible crime he did in 2000.” Instead, “he comes out of prison and points a gun at somebody else.” He stated that this incident is “about as serious as you can get” when coupled with someone on parole for murder and requested an above-guideline sentence to “protect the community.”

Before sentencing Wilson, the Honorable Judge West stated that this is “the type of case that shows, at its very best, the level of poor decision-making in spite of a past record. It’s astonishing. The decision-making, type of offense, and the history give great concern.”

Sentence

Count 1

  • First-Degree Assault
    • 15 years

Count 4

  • Possession of Firearm with a Felony Conviction
    • 5 years
    • Consecutive to Count 1

Count 10

  • Possession of Cocaine
    • 1 year
    • Concurrent to Count 1

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