Baltimore, Maryland – Today U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced defendant Paul Francis Blaisse, 65, of Walkersville, Maryland, to seventeen years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release for one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. Judge Maddox also ordered Blaisse to pay $83,694 in restitution to his victims and, after his release from prison, to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student.

The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Nicole M. Argentieri; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and J. Charles Smith III, State’s Attorney for Frederick County, Maryland.

According to court documents, beginning as early as 2011, Blaisse engaged in live video chats with minor children who were engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  Mr. Blaisse exchanged messages with hundreds of individuals on video chat sites who offered access to minor children via webcam.  During these chats, Blaisse discussed his sexual interest in children and distributed child sexual abuse material (CSAM).  The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office identified Blaisse after receiving a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual using an IP address associated with Blaisse’s residence uploaded CSAM to a video chat account.

In October 2018, Blaisse used an online video chat application, to entice a minor child in the Philippines to engage in sexually explicit conduct.  Records of Blaisse’s activity show that he communicated with an adult in the Philippines who arranged for the minor child to participate in a video chat with Blaisse.  In addition to these chats, Blaisse’s electronic devices contained hundreds of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including prepubescent minors.

U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI Baltimore Field Office, the Justice Department’s High Technology Investigative Unit, and the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Leading the prosecution of this case are Department of Justice Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Aubin, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce King.  For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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BOISE, IDAHO

JULY 15, 2024- 

State’s Attorney, Charlie Smith Completes his NDAA Presidential Term Today, Passing The Gavel to San Diego District Attorney, Summer Stephan

State’s Attorney Charlie Smith attends the National District Attorney Association Board Meeting and Summer Summit in Boise, Idaho.

  As NDAA President, SA Smith championed innovative and collaborative initiatives that promote public safety and the prosecutorial profession throughout the country.  SA Smith championed legislation on Capitol Hill to protect victims and victim services funding.  He led NDAA participation with the American Bar Association to ensure that the prosecutor perspective was included in national policies and best practices.  SA Smith also created the Wellbeing Committee and Recruitment & Retention Committee to focus on hiring and keeping the best and most effective prosecutors that will seek justice. Lastly, he created the Military Justice Committee to partner with military installations around the country on the prosecutions of homicides, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and child abuse.  SA Smith will continue to serve as Chairman of the NDAA Board and continue this important work in the year to come.

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JULY 10, 2024

Hagerstown Man Sentenced to Life Plus 15 Years For Attempted First-Degree Murder and Five Additional Charges Including Use of a Firearm with High-Capacity Magazine in the Commission of a Crime of Violence

Frederick, Maryland – Today, in Frederick County Circuit Court, Judge Julia Martz-Fisher, sentenced Lookman-Khalil Abolajo Bello to Life plus 15 years in The Department of Corrections for Attempted First-Degree Murder, Use of a Firearm in the Commission a Crime of Violence, Use of a High-Capacity Magazine in the Commission of a Crime of Violence, Possession of a Firearm by Person with Prior Crime of Violence Conviction, Possession of Ammunition by Person with Prior Crime of Violence Conviction, and Fleeing Police.  In February 2024, Judge Martz-Fisher presided over a seven-day bench trial and found Lookman-Khalil Abolajo Bello guilty.

On March 18, 2022 at approximately 2:45a.m., Deputy First Class Christian Lucente of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop a vehicle traveling 94 mph near I270/Rte.85.  The vehicle failed to stop and led police on a brief pursuit to the area of Kingscrest Apartments in Frederick.  The operator of the vehicle, later identified as the Defendant, bailed out of the vehicle and took off on foot.  The foot pursuit continued into the area of Rooks Court at which time the Defendant pulled out an unserialized Polymer80 9mm handgun with an extended magazine from his right jacket pocket and began firing at DFC Lucente.  The Defendant fired a total of 12 rounds at DFC Lucente; several of which struck the apartment building directly behind where DFC Lucente was located.  DFC Lucente was able to return fire striking and incapacitating the Defendant.  DFC Lucente and DFC Dixon were then able to approach, apprehend, and provide emergency medical treatment to the Defendant.  Other deputies arrived at the scene shortly thereafter and took over providing medical treatment until EMS arrived.  The Defendant was transferred to University of Maryland Shock Trauma for further medical care before being remitted to the Frederick County Adult Detention Center to answer for the charges for which he has now been convicted and sentenced.

State’s Attorney Charlie Smith stated, “Our community needs to understand that police face the possibility of being shot at every day, and that we as prosecutors will hold those gunmen and violent offenders accountable.  Bello has shown that he is a major threat to public safety and therefore should be removed from our community and incarcerated for a substantial period of time.”

The apprehension, arrest and conviction of the Defendant was a collaborative effort by the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office and the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, represented by Chief, Violent Crimes Unit, Ricky Lewis and Assistant State’s Attorney, Samantha Slattery.

Press Contact:

Jacqueline Rottmann

Court Media Relations Officer

JRottmann@statesattorney.us

301-600-2972

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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JUNE 7, 2024

Home Healthcare Worker Found Guilty of 1^st Degree Neglect of a Vulnerable Adult, Resulting in Catastrophic Physical Injury

Frederick, MD – Today, in Frederick County Circuit Court, Emmanuel Olaeken Owoyeye, 49, was ordered to serve twelve months in the Frederick County Adult Detention Center with another nine years suspended. That sentence begins today. Owoyeye was found guilty of 1^st Degree Neglect of a Vulnerable Adult following a bench trial before the Honorable William R. Nicklas on May 28, 2024.

On August 4, 2023, a resident of an apartment complex in Frederick was walking his dog when he saw a man lying on the ground beneath an open third-story window.  Frederick County Sheriff’s Office deputies and EMS responded. It was determined that the 55-year-old victim was a vulnerable adult as a result of his diagnoses of Down Syndrome and dementia.  A deputy went to the victim’s apartment and notified the Defendant, the victim’s caregiver, that the victim was on the ground.  The Defendant admitted to the deputy that he had not checked on the victim for over three and a half hours. The victim was in his bedroom with the door closed, while the Defendant remained in the living room.  While the victim was unsupervised, he removed the screen from his bedroom window and jumped out, falling three stories.  Because the victim was known to try to get out of the apartment through the balcony or the front door, the Defendant was instructed by his supervisors that he was required to have the victim in line of sight when the victim was awake and to check on him periodically if he was sleeping.  The Defendant, who was paid to care for the victim, failed to supervise the victim as required.   The victim was transported by Trooper 3 to University of Maryland Shock Trauma in Baltimore.  As a result of the injuries sustained in the fall from the window, the victim is confined to a wheelchair and will not be able to live outside of a nursing home setting.

Upon release, the Defendant will serve 5 years of probation.   The first three years of probation are to be supervised, and the last two years are unsupervised.  All standard conditions apply. As a condition of his probation, the Defendant may not work with vulnerable adults or children.

The State was represented by Assistant State’s Attorney, Erin Pearl, Special Victims Unit.

Press Contact:

Jacqueline Rottmann

Court Media Relations Officer

301-600-2972

100 West Patrick Street

Frederick, Maryland  21701

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 19, 2024

Frederick Woman Convicted of 2^nd-Degree Child Abuse and 2^nd-Degree Assault, Bond Revoked

FREDERICK, Md. – Friday night, in Frederick County Circuit Court, Ana Cecilia Gonzalez, 50, was found guilty of 2^nd-Degree Child Abuse and 2^nd Degree Assault following a two-day bench trial presided over by Judge Julia Martz-Fisher.

In July 2023, at an elementary school in Frederick County, the minor victim told a teacher, a school counselor, and a school resource officer that she did not feel safe, and that Gonzalez hit her and verbally abused her on a regular basis. Following the disclosure by the child, an investigation was conducted by Child Protective Services and the Frederick Police Department.

Bond was revoked after the guilty finding, and Gonzalez will remain incarcerated at the Frederick County Adult Detention Center until sentencing.

The State was represented by Assistant State’s Attorney, Erin Pearl, Special Victims Unit.

Press Contact:

Jacqueline Rottmann

Court Media Relations Officer

301-600-2972

100 West Patrick Street

Frederick, Maryland  21701

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