Swiped Vehicle
In Snowy Ditch
WHALLEYVILLE A Whaleyville
man was arrested on drunk-driving
and unauthorized use of a motor
vehicle charges on Tuesday night
after losing control and sliding into a
ditch during a snowstorm.
Around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, a
Maryland State Police trooper pa-
trolling the roadways in Worcester
during a snowstorm for possible
stranded motorists observed a vehi-
cle in a ditch along Route 610 at
Donoway Rd. The driver, identified
as Jeffrey Bradley of Whaleyville,
lost control of the vehicle due to the
snow and became disabled in a
ditch. While speaking to Bradley,
the trooper detected an odor of
alcohol and also discovered his
driving privileges were suspended.
The owner of the vehicle, also
Bradley's employer, was advised
and arrived on the scene and told
police Bradley took the vehicle from
the place of business without per-
mission or authorization. Bradley
was arrested and charged with driv-
ing under the influence and unau-
thorized use of a motor vehicle.
Sex Offender Sentenced
SNOW HILL A Willards man,
arrested last fall on multiple sex
offenses and child abuse decades
after the offenses against his
nephew in the early 1980s, pleaded
guilty last week in Worcester
County Circuit Court to a third-
degree sex offense and child abuse
by a custodian and was sentenced
to 10 years in jail, all but three of
which were then suspended.
Last October, the Worcester
County Bureau of Investigation
(WCBI) and the Worcester County
Sheriff's Office arrested David
Wayne Tatman, 56, and charged
him with two counts of third-degree
sex offense, two counts of child
abuse by a custodian, one count of
second-degree child abuse and one
count of unnatural or perverted
practice.
The arrest came after a months-
long investigation that began when
one of Tatman's alleged former vic-
tims filed a report with the Worces-
ter County Sheriff's Office.
The investigation revealed a pat-
tern of sexual abuse by Tatman
against his nephew dating back to a
period from October 1982 to May
1983. The allegations only came to
light after the victim called Tatman
last September and confronted him
about the incidents.
Through further investigation,
evidence was obtained that alleged-
ly corroborated the victim's story
and indicated Tatman had indeed
committed the alleged offenses.
The case was then presented to the
Worcester County grand jury, which
resulted in an arrest warrant for
Tatman.
Last week, Tatman pleaded
guilty to a third-degree sex offense
and child abuse by a custodian and
was sentenced to 10 years in jail, all
but three years of which were then
suspended. He was also placed on
supervised probation for five years.
Tatman will not be required to regis-
ter as a sex offender as the inci-
dents occurred prior to the estab-
lishment of the state's sex offender
registry.
Disruption At Airport
SALISBURY A Brooklyn, N.Y.
man was arrested on multiple
charges last weekend after he
attempted to board a plane on the
tarmac at the Salisbury-Ocean City-
Wicomico Regional Airport.
Around 10:30 p.m. last Sunday,
Wicomico County Sheriff's deputies
responded to a reported distur-
bance at the Salisbury airport. The
investigation revealed a suspect,
later identified as Darnell Calvin
Richards, 30, of Brooklyn, was
attempting to locate transportation
back to New York but did not have
any money with him.
Richards left the airport upon
request and was told not to return. A
short time later, Richards returned
to the airport and made his way
through the passenger gate and
onto the tarmac where he attempted
to approach a commercial flight that
was in the process of unloading
passengers. Richards was placed
under arrest, but became uncooper-
ative with deputies and at one point
during the process became physi-
cally combative.
He was ultimately arrested and
charged with disorderly conduct,
trespassing and resisting arrest. He
was taken before a District Court
Commissioner and was ordered to
be held on a $5,000 bond.
Probation,
Fine For Stun Gun
SNOW HILL A Wilmington
woman, arrested in September on
drugs and weapons charges after a
male individual she was traveling
with was arrested on suspicion of
dealing narcotics, pleaded guilty
last week to possession of an elec-
tronic stun gun and was placed on
probation and fined.
Around 2 a.m. on Sept. 1, an
OCPD officer on uniformed bicycle
patrol in the area of Philadelphia
Ave. and 8th Street observed a
male suspect later identified as Dar-
nell Defate Harris, 25, of Wilming-
ton, acting suspiciously and talking
simultaneously on two cell phones.
When Harris saw the officer
observing him, he quickly walked
into traffic crossing Philadelphia
Page 24
January 24, 2014
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
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