These indictments were part 12 handed down by the grand jury on Friday.
Frederick, Md (KM). Three brothers from the Baltimore area were indicted Friday by the Frederick County Grand Jury. Michael William Hall, 34, Terry Hall, Jr., 42, and Antwon Alexander Hall, 30, are charged with possession with intent to distribute, possession and possession of large amount of cocaine; illegal possession of ammunition; drug distribution with a firearm; use of a firearm in drug trafficking; use of a handgun in a felony violent crime; possession of a firearm with a felony conviction; having a handgun in a vehicle; and having a loaded handgun in a vehicle.
State’s Attorney Charlie Smith says all three were in a vehicle which was pulled over along Interstate 70 in Frederick County during the early morning hours of January 4th, 2019. “They found over $150,000 of cash, as well as two-and-a-half thousand grams of cocaine. They found a handgun. This was pretty serious large scale operation,” he says.
In another case, Christopher Orth Gardner, 69, was charged with 1st-degree assault, 2nd-degree assault and reckless endangerment. Smith says it all resulted from an incident which occurred on January 31st, 2019. “This is a first-degree assault case where deputies responded to call with a domestic in progress,” he says. “The victim advised that she and the defendant had been arguing when she was strangled. She actually lost consciousness,wound up urinating on herself, which is really sad. But she was able to basically come to, run up the stairs and call 911.”
Smith also says there were two welfare fraud cases before the Grand Jury, which he says is a little unusual as these cases are often handled at the state level. In one case, Rebecca Hively, 38, of Walkersville, was charged by the panel with theft scheme between $1,000 to $10,000 for food supplemental benefits; theft scheme between $1,000 to $10,000 for medical assistance benefits; theft scheme between $1,000 to $10,000 for temporary cash assistance benefits; welfare fraud; and fraud in obtaining drugs and medical care. The offense dates were from March, 1st, 2013 to September 8th, 2017.
“This is a situation where she was living in Pennsylvania, but obtaining benefits through Maryland. She had misrepresented her address to numerous filings and conveyed that she was living in multiple locations and collecting multiple checks in regard to that,” says Smith.
In a second welfare fraud case, Jilliane Freeman, 37, of Keymar, is charged with four counts of obtaining public assistance through false applications; fraud in obtaining drugs and medical care; welfare fraud; theft scheme between $10,000 to $100,000, and theft scheme between $1500 to $25,000. The offenses occurred between February 1st, 2013 to April 30th, 2018.
“She actually claimed she had a daughter that she did not have custody with,and she was providing all this assistance for her. She was claiming benefits on her behalf which just wasn’t true so she was indicted on those counts,” says Smith.
The other indictments were:
* Christian Allen James, 22, of Frederick, Md, who was indicted for possession with intent to distribute of marijuana, and possession of more than ten grams of marijuana for an incident which occurred on December 21st, 2018.
* Travis Richard Keeny, 30, of Brunswick, Md., who was indicted on 2nd-degree general burglary; 4th-degree storehouse burglary; and theft between $1500 to $25,000 for an incident which occurred on January 19th, 2019.
* Kenneth Blake Harvey,k 38, of Ijamsville, Md, who was indicted for 3rd-degree burglary; 4th-degree burglary of a dwelling; 2nd-degree assault; possession of cocaine; possession of heroin; possession of paraphernalia (a glass device for smoking); possession of paraphernalia (metal spoon used for heroin); possession and distribution of drug administration equipment (hypodermic needles for heroin). for an incident which occurred on January 4th, 2019.
* Wayne Eugene Lyles, 65, of, Ijamsville, Md., who was indicted for two counts of distribution of cocaine; distribution of heroin; three counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine; two counts of possession with intent to distribute heroin; two counts possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; three counts of possession of cocaine; three counts of possession of heroin; two counts of possession of fentanyl; two counts of distribution of fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute a fentanyl and heroin mix; and being a common nuisance for incidents which occurred between January 24th and February 8th, 2019.
* John Wolfrey, 39, of Berkeley Springs, WV, who was indicted for possession of a large amount of heroin, conspiracy to possession with intent to distribute and possession of heroin; driving without a license; driving while suspended on an out-of-state license; driving while suspended on an out-of-state license for failure to appear in court; and failure to display his license on demand for an incident which occurred on January 22nd, 2019.
* Jeffrey Linwood Flynn, 40, of Cross Junction, Va., who was indicted for possession of a large amount of heroin; possession with intent to distribute heroin; conspiracy to possession with intent to distribute heroin; possession of heroin; and possession of oxycodone, for an incident which occurred on January 22nd, 2019.
Indictments move these cases to Circuit Court where a trial date will be scheduled. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.
By Kevin McManus