Office of the Maryland State Prosecutor

06/03/2026

The Office of the State Prosecutor has released its 2025 Annual Report. To review the report follow the link listed.

https://bit.ly/49GEutX

05/28/2026

One of our OSP SAUSAs, Ms. Kathleen Godwin, is featured in the video, "A Day in the Life: Violent and Organized Crime Section." from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

From investigating criminal activity, to trying cases, to providing...

04/14/2026

Senior Worcester County Board of Education Official Charged with Felony Theft Scheme, Embezzlement, and Misconduct in Office

Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard, III, announced today that a criminal information has been filed in the Circuit Court for Worcester County, Maryland, charging Denise R. Shorts with felony theft over $100,000, embezzlement, and misconduct in office.

According to the charges filed today, Shorts worked for Worcester County Public Schools (“WCPS”) from 1989 until early 2026. Shorts held different positions throughout her tenure with WCPS, most recently serving as the Chief Academic Officer, also known as the Assistant Superintendent, and as the WCPS Title I grant coordinator, which began in 2014.

Shorts oversaw the Title I grant, which is a grant intended to provide extra funding to school districts with low-income families. In this role, Shorts was permitted to make purchases on behalf of Title I schools, including on Amazon.com, using a Purchase Card, commonly referred to as a “P-Card”, a credit card issued to select WCPS employees to purchase materials for educational purposes and for the benefit of the school system.

According to the charging document, from 2019 through October 2025, Shorts used her P-Card to make $118,741.89 in personal purchases from Amazon and submitted invoices she physically altered in support of those purchases. Specifically, Shorts printed her actual Amazon receipt and a fake Amazon receipt. Shorts cut out the item description or shipping address from the fake receipt, and taped it over the actual Amazon receipt, copied the altered receipt, and submitted the altered receipt in support of her P-Card purchases. Shorts falsely indicated that $84,365.82 of the purchases made from Amazon were to benefit Title I schools, which resulted in that amount being deducted from the Title I grant intended to support students of low-income families.

According to the charging document, Shorts purchased thousands of dollars in pool equipment, clothing, make-up, hair and skin care, and other personal items using her P-Card. She also purchased materials and equipment for a learning center partially owned by her, and furnishings for her vacation home in Florida.
During a routine audit by the Office of Legislative Audits (“OLA”), discrepancies with Shorts’s P-Card were discovered. In response, Shorts allegedly submitted fake personal credit card statements to claim that the purchases identified by OLA were actually made using her own credit card.

“Officials entrusted with the administration of valuable community resources intended for the education of needy children have a responsibility to act with integrity. Our Office is committed to holding accountable any individuals who are found to have abused such positions of trust,” said State Prosecutor Howard.

All individuals who are charged with a criminal offense are presumed to be innocent.

A copy of the charging document can be found at https://bit.ly/4mwXPD0

Contact: [email protected]

03/31/2026

FORMER CO-OWNER OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS STUDIO SENTENCED FOR FELONY THEFT SCHEME AND IDENTITY FRAUD

MARCH 31, 2026 - Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III announced today that former Maryland Mixed Martial Arts Studio Co-Owner, Michael William Perry, was sentenced today for his role in a theft scheme and identify fraud against his former business partner. The Honorable Richard J. Sandy sentenced Mr. Perry to 15 years suspend all but 60 days and 5 years of supervised probation, after Mr. Perry paid the business and his former partner $71,791.83 in restitution.

Mr. Perry pleaded guilty on January 12, 2026 after the State presented witnesses in a trial. During the State’s presentation of evidence, testimony was elicited from several witnesses about how Mr. Perry promoted himself as a wealthy individual with investment experience. Witnesses also testified about the discovery of Mr. Perry’s personal spending including steak dinners, gun shop purchases, etc. The facts read into the record during the guilty plea revealed that Mr. Perry, a former owner of Groundswell MMA, LLC, a martial arts academy located in Frederick, Maryland, used Groundswell funds and his business partner’s identity for his own personal use. Mr. Perry was accused of spending approximately $66,000 on unauthorized expenses while he was an owner at Groundswell, MMA. In addition to his personal spending, Mr. Perry admitted that he used his business partner’s personal identifying information to obtain over $25,000 of financing from multiple financing companies without consulting with his business partner.

The State argued for Mr. Perry to receive a sentence above the sentencing guidelines because he abused a position of trust. The Court noted that while the restitution had been paid, it was “important that the Defendant see the inside of a jail cell” for exploiting a position of trust. Mr. Perry will be serving his sixty-day sentence on twenty consecutive weekends and has other conditions of probation.

“It is important to ensure accountability for financial fraud, especially when the person committing the crime is a trusted partner in the business,” said Howard. “Our Office is proud of its work across the State to address corruption and fraud when it impacts our communities.

Mr. Howard thanked and commended Assistant State Prosecutor Stephanie Haddad, Deputy State Prosecutor Sarah David, Senior State Prosecutor Joyce McDonald, Special Agent Matthew Kerrigan, and Senior Special Agent Daniel Bralove for their work on this case.

A copy of the Charging Document can be found at https://bit.ly/3PGLZK9

Contact: [email protected]

02/24/2026

Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III announced today that former Cumberland Police Department (“CPD”) Captain James Burt pled guilty to one count of Misconduct in Office, and was sentenced to two years of incarceration, with all but 30 days suspended, followed by three years of supervised probation by the Honorable Timothy W. Finan. Burt has also resigned from the CPD.

According to the statement of facts in support of the plea agreement, Burt served as a sworn law enforcement officer with the CPD beginning in approximately 2003 and was its Captain from 2021 to 2026.

As Captain of CPD, Burt completed numerous trainings and courses in leadership, ethics, police misconduct, and defense tactics, among other topics, and at each defense tactics training, Burt signed a “Sanctity of Life Pledge,” promising that at all times, whether on or off duty, he would “respect human life and act with compassion towards others.”

According to the plea agreement, Victim 1 was a female police officer with CPD beginning in 2024. Shortly after Victim 1 graduated from the police academy and joined CPD, and continuing through at least April 2025, Burt routinely walked up to Victim 1 (whom he supervised) while she was working and applied pain compliance pressure points to her, without warning. Pain compliance pressure points target nerve bundles and sensitive areas to cause pain, for the purpose of garnering compliance from a noncompliant suspect, typically during an arrest. These techniques were taught to Burt during defense tactics trainings that he attended as an officer. Burt applied these painful pressure points in various locations on Victim 1’s body, including, but not limited to, the pressure points behind her ear and on her hands.

Additionally, the statement of facts agreed to by Burt stated that in April 2025, Victim 1 passed Burt in an enclosed stairwell within CPD, and Burt approached Victim 1 and kissed her neck in a sensual manner, without her consent. Subsequently, Burt admitted to the then-police chief of CPD that he kissed Victim 1’s neck.

While sentencing Burt, Judge Finan stated, “It’s curious that someone with the skills Mr. Burt has would show such poor judgment…he showed a lack of judgment on at least one occasion, likely more.

“Our office remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that no one is above the law—especially those entrusted with upholding it. Anyone who violates the public’s trust and betrays the community they are sworn to serve should be held accountable,” said Howard.

Mr. Howard thanked and commended Senior Assistant State Prosecutors Mary Setzer and Abigail Ticse, and Senior Special Agent Jeffrey Stauder for their work on this case.

A copy of the Statement of Facts can be found at: https://bit.ly/4cK3pij

CONTACT: [email protected]

02/16/2026

As our offices are closed today, we wish everybody a wonderful Presidents Day.

02/06/2026

Cumberland Police Department Captain Charged with Misconduct, Second Degree Assault, and Fourth Degree S*x Offense

February 6, 2026

Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III announced today that the Grand Jury sitting in Allegany County has returned an 11 count Criminal Indictment against Cumberland Police Department Captain James Burt, charging him with 6 counts of Misconduct in Office, 4 counts of Second-Degree Assault, and 1 count of Fourth Degree S*x Offense.

According to the charging document, Captain Burt, who served as a sworn law enforcement officer with the Cumberland Police Department (the “Department”) since approximately 2003 and as its Captain since 2021, completed numerous trainings and courses in leadership, ethics, police misconduct, and defense tactics, among other topics.

The charging document alleges that Captain Burt regularly physically assaulted younger female officers within the Cumberland Police Department, by applying various pain compliance pressure points to them while they were working. Pain compliance pressure points target nerve bundles and sensitive areas to cause pain, for the purpose of garnering compliance from a noncompliant suspect, typically during an arrest. These techniques were taught to Captain Burt during defense tactics trainings that he attended as an officer. The Indictment alleges that Captain Burt assaulted three female victim officers of the Cumberland Police Department by applying these pressure points to them on various occasions.

According to the charging document, Captain Burt is additionally alleged to have assaulted a former Cumberland Police Department Officer on at least two different occasions after she had left the Department and joined the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office. Further, Captain Burt is alleged to have approached one of the victims in the stairwell of the Department and kissed her neck in a sensual manner, without her consent.

“Supervisors of law enforcement agencies are vested with significant powers to discharge their important duties and lead their departments,” stated Howard. “Our office will continue to investigate and where appropriate prosecute any allegations that a police officer abused those powers by victimizing subordinate members of the very department they were entrusted to lead.”
The Office of the State Prosecutor would like to thank the Maryland State Police for their assistance in this investigation and the Cumberland Police Department for their cooperation and professionalism throughout the investigation.

All individuals who are charged with a criminal offense are presumed to be innocent.

A copy of the Charging Document can be found at https://bit.ly/46dmPsb

01/19/2026

01/13/2026

FORMER CO-OWNER OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS STUDIO PLEADS GUILTY TO FELONY THEFT AND IDENTITY FRAUD

January 13, 2026 - Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III announced today that Michael Perry, a former co-owner of Groundswell MMA LLC, in Frederick, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to Felony Theft Scheme and Identity Fraud.
Mr. Perry pleaded guilty after the State presented witnesses in a trial in front of the Honorable Richard J. Sandy on January 12, 2026. During the State’s presentation of witnesses, testimony was elicited from several witnesses about how Mr. Perry promoted himself as a wealthy individual with investment experience. Witnesses also testified about the discovery of Mr. Perry’s personal spending including steak dinners, gun shop purchases, etc. The facts read into the record during the guilty plea revealed that Mr. Perry, a former owner of Groundswell MMA, LLC, a martial arts academy located in Frederick, Maryland, used Groundswell funds and his business partner’s identity for his own personal use. Mr. Perry was accused of spending approximately $66,000 on unauthorized expenses while he was an owner at Groundswell, MMA. In addition to his personal spending, Mr. Perry admitted that he used his business partner’s personal identifying information to obtain over $25,000 financing from multiple financing companies without consulting with his business partner.

Sentencing has been set for March 31, 2026.

The Office of the State Prosecutor would like to thank and acknowledge the work of Assistant State Prosecutor Stephanie Haddad, Deputy State Prosecutor Sarah David, Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Joyce McDonald, Special Agent Daniel Bralove and Special Agent Matthew Kerrigan for their work on this case.

A copy of the Charging Document can be found at bit.ly/4pyk779

CONTACT: [email protected]

01/01/2026

Wishing everyone a safe and healthy 2026!