Beyond MoCo

Per the Maryland State Police: Maryland State Police Aviation Command rescued a man after becoming injured on a cargo ship in the Chesapeake Bay Monday afternoon.

Shortly after 1:45 p.m. on Monday, the United States Coast Guard requested Maryland State Police Aviation Command (MSPAC) to hoist an injured person from a cargo ship. According to a preliminary investigation, the Abtenauer Bulk Carrier Cargo Ship was traveling in the Chesapeake Bay, in the area of Stevensville, Maryland when a cargo ship worker was injured after falling more than 10 feet from a ladder. Due to the injuries he sustained and the need for an evaluation at a trauma center, MSPAC was requested to respond for a hoist rescue. MSPAC’s Trooper 1, based out of the Martin State Airport in Middle River, Maryland responded.

On July 10, 2023, Maleik Christopher Moody, 28, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to several charges before Judge Mary M. Kramer of the Howard County Circuit Court, including participating in a criminal organization, knowingly distributing fentanyl, and the possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Moody was sentenced to 30 years of incarceration, with all but 10 years suspended, and will serve the first five years of that sentence without the possibility of parole. Moody was the last remaining defendant to be sentenced among the six charged in this investigation. All other defendants had previously pleaded guilty.

The case originated from an investigation by the Howard County Police Department into a nonfatal opioid overdose that occurred in its jurisdiction. The continued investigation, led by the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Unit, the Howard County Police Department, and the Strike Force 7 Group, led by the Maryland State Police, linked the overdose to as many as six additional overdoses in Maryland and Virginia, including at least one fatal overdose. During the investigation, detectives seized more than one kilogram of fentanyl and six handguns, observed hundreds of hand-to-hand drug transactions in multiple jurisdictions, and intercepted communications confirming the distribution of large amounts of fentanyl throughout Maryland.

Governor Moore and Orioles Chair and Managing Partner John Angelos released the following joint statement regarding Camden Yards:

“The last four months have been exciting on and off the field. Baltimore City and the State of Maryland all have Orioles fever. We’ve laid the groundwork for success, and progress is also being made on our vision to expand and revitalize the Camden Yards campus.

Governor Wes Moore announced that the Maryland Department of Natural Resources is providing $13.5 million in Waterway Improvement Funds. The funds will support new and improved public boating access facilities, dredging of navigable public waterways, emergency vessels and equipment for local first responders, and other important infrastructure and initiatives.

“Investing in infrastructure is integral to achieving the full potential of Maryland’s resources,” said Gov. Moore. “This partnership between the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and our local jurisdictions is critical to improving, maintaining, and promoting use of our public waterways.” The Waterway Improvement Fund is primarily derived from the one-time 5% excise tax when a boat is purchased and titled in the state, as well as a small portion of the state gas tax. It has been used to construct and maintain more than 400 public boating facilities and more than 250 public navigational channels across the state as well as the acquisition of vessels.