Beyond MoCo

Per the Maryland Office of the Attorney General: Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today announced the convictions of Eugene Fusting, 79, and Christopher Ian Fusting, 52, of Baltimore relating to their operation of a Ponzi-like investment scheme between 2012 and 2019. Eugene and Christopher Fusting were found guilty of Theft Scheme Over $100,000 and Conspiracy to Commit Theft Scheme Over $100,000 after pleading guilty in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Judge Melissa Phinn sentenced both Eugene and Christopher Fusting to 30 years in prison, all of which were suspended. Eugene will serve 18-months of home detention and Christopher will serve 12-months of home detention. Judge Phinn also ordered the Fustings to serve 5 years of supervised probation and pay restitution in the amount of $808,745.00.

Both Eugene and Christopher Fusting held brokerage accounts in their individual names at an online securities and brokerage firm where they would, on occasion, wire a portion of the funds they received. However, instead of utilizing these accounts to invest the funds, the brokerage accounts served as a conduit for investor funds, where investors’ money sat until the balances on the Fustings’ individual bank accounts waned, at which time funds were wired out of the brokerage accounts back to the personal accounts and spent on personal expenses. Neither Fusting had any additional source of income and relied on the stolen funds to support their lifestyles.

Per the Maryland State Police: Maryland State Police are investigating two fatal shootings which occurred a few hours apart Thursday evening in Dorchester County. At about 7:15 p.m. last night, the Cambridge Police Department responded to the area of Pleasant Street and Race Street in Cambridge, Maryland for a gunshot victim. Officers located the victim, identified as Taijay Brian Daniels, 24, of Cambridge, Maryland, who had been shot multiple times. Daniels was pronounced deceased at the scene.  

The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit was contacted by Cambridge Police to assume the investigation. According to a preliminary investigation, an unknown black male wearing a black jacket, dark jeans, black shoes and black book bag robbed Daniels at gunpoint. During the course of the robbery, the gunman shot Daniels before fleeing the area.

Per the Maryland State Police: Maryland State Police are investigating two fatal multi-vehicle crashes that occurred this morning in Harford County. At about 6:45 a.m., troopers from the Maryland State Police JFK Memorial Highway Barrack responded to Interstate-95 North at MD Route 543 in Belcamp, Maryland for a report of a five-vehicle crash. According to a preliminary investigation, a 2023 Chevrolet Traverse was traveling north on I-95 in the left lane, when it crossed over the solid yellow line of the left shoulder and struck two tractor-trailers. The Chevrolet then rotated back into the road where another tractor-trailer struck the vehicle. The driver of the Chevrolet, identified as Caprice N. Davis, 27, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was declared deceased at the scene. There were no other injuries reported as a result of the initial crash.

The second crash occurred at about 8:35 a.m. on I-95 North at Maryland Route 24 in Edgewood, Maryland. According to a preliminary investigation, a 2021 Subaru Forrester was traveling north on I-95 when the driver, a female, crashed into the rear of a dump truck.  The truck was stopped for traffic associated with the initial crash. The victim, whose identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, was declared deceased at the scene. I-95 North was closed for about five hours as a result of the crashes.   The cause of the crashes remains under investigation.