Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
Maryland authorities were able to serve a 5-year-old Wicomico County arson arrest warrant after the suspect’s sailboat washed ashore near Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The sailboat was already seized by law enforcement earlier this year after it was found anchored and unattended off of the coast of Long Island. Upon returning the boat to its owner New York authorities discovered the man had an outstanding theft warrant out of Florida. He was not taken into custody in New York but rather allowed to continue on his stated goal of sailing the vessel from Massachusetts to Florida. About one month later the same boat washed ashore in Delaware, and when authorities once again made contact with its owner, they discovered his 2021 Maryland arrest warrant. Rather than simply inform the captain/suspect about his legal situation, Delaware police made an arrest and informed Maryland authorities he was ready for pickup.
It’s one thing for law enforcement to take someone into custody for a theft warrant issued by a state 1,000 miles away. In this scenario there is no guarantee the charging state is willing to foot the bill for the 15-hour drive and the arrested individual often spends 10 to 30 days in a local jail before being cut loose. It’s an entirely different situation when the suspect is arrested just across state lines from where the alleged crime occurred. Delaware routinely arrests and holds Maryland defendants and vice versa. Maryland calls these out-of-state arrests fugitive from justice cases, and District Court Judges rarely grant release on bail as other states frequently do.
In this particular case Delaware worked promptly to have the arson suspect extradited to Wicomico County where a District Court Commissioner held him without bail charges malicious burning in the 1st degree, trash container arson and malicious destruction of property. The most serious of the charges is first-degree malicious burning, which is defined as maliciously setting fire to the property of another that results in property damage over $1,000. This offense is considered a felony that carries up to 5 years in prison upon conviction. The second fire related charge is burning of a trash container, which has a 30-day maximum penalty. Neither of these offenses are legally defined as arson though they are listed among the arson/burning laws. The final charge is for malicious destruction of property over $1,000. This offense carries up to 3 years in prison or 60 days if the damage is less than $1,000.
The allegations stem from a literal dumpster fire where the suspect was seen in the area on surveillance camera allegedly starting the fire outside of a business. Police also made contact with the suspect that night and were later able to compare clothing the officer observed to the clothing worn by the fire igniter on video. Despite the age of the case and the fact that the defendant has ties to multiple states (including the Florida warrant), he was granted release on unsecured personal bond by a judge during a bail review at the Salisbury District Court. Jail records show that he has not yet been released from the Wicomico County Detention Center, but it is unclear if that is due to the Florida arrest warrant.
The Blog will continue to follow this case and may post a follow up article in the future. The case is currently set for preliminary hearing on November 12, 2026, where the State must establish probable cause for the felony malicious burning charge. Wicomico County is one of the few jurisdictions that regularly conducts preliminary hearings. Most State’s Attorney’s Offices indict or file a criminal charging document prior to the preliminary hearing date. If you are facing criminal charges anywhere in Maryland contact defense attorney Benjamin Herbst anytime for a free consultation. Benjamin specializes in property crimes such as arson, malicious destruction of property and theft. He is also an experienced bail review lawyer who is available at a moment’s notice to secure the release of your loved one. Call Benjamin anytime at 410-207-2598 to schedule a free consultation.
Resources:
How a washed up sailboat in Delaware led to an arrest in 2021 Maryland arson case, wjla.com.