Press Releases

Frederick, MD – This morning in Frederick County Circuit Court, a 16-year-old respondent pled guilty to one count of 2^nd Degree Assault in connection with the September 2019 attack of John Weed at the Great Frederick Fair. Judge Julie Stevenson Solt scheduled the Disposition Hearing for August 12th.   At that hearing, the State will ask the Court to commit the youth to a placement with the Department of Juvenile Services.  The State had pursued a waiver to move the 16-year-old’s case to adult court. However, Judge Solt ruled in February that the respondent would remain in the juvenile system.

On the evening of September 20^th, 2019, John Weed was enjoying a family night at the fair when he was approached by the 16-year-old juvenile male, his 15-year-old brother, and a couple of their friends.  The 15-year-old teen and another youth asked Mr. Weed for money.  Mr. Weed said “no”.  The youth kept pursuing Mr. Weed, despite family members begging the youth to leave him alone. The respondent pursued the victim, punching him in the back of the head. As Mr. Weed squared up with the respondent, his 15-year-old brother came running from a distance and punched Mr. Weed with such force that photos indicated he likely lost consciousness almost immediately. As Mr. Weed laid unconscious on the ground, the respondent spat on him. Mr. Weed ultimately died of his injuries the next day at Shock Trauma in Baltimore.

The 15-year-old co-respondent in this case pled guilty to manslaughter on April 29, 2020. During an adjudication hearing May 15^th, Judge William R. Nicklas Jr. followed the State’s recommendation that the respondent be placed in a long-term behavioral modification program.

The family of John Weed participated in this morning’s hearing via video conference. They have appeared regularly for all of the hearings since the teens arrest in September 2019. Weed’s family supported placement in an appropriate juvenile treatment program for both respondents.

The State was represented by Chief Assistant State’s Attorneys Laura Wilt and Rebecca Clinton.

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Frederick, MD –  Today in Frederick County Circuit Court, a 15-year-old respondent pled guilty to Manslaughter for the September 20^th offense at the Frederick Fair that resulted in the death of Mr. John Marvin Weed of Mount Airy. The State requested that the youth be tried as an adult, but after a lengthy hearing in February the Court determined he would remain in the juvenile system.    The youth has been held in detention since the incident, and remains there pending a disposition hearing on May 15, 2020 at 11a.m.   Mr. Weed’s family participated in today’s hearing via video conference, and will be involved in the disposition hearing as well.    They have faithfully attended every hearing, and want to see the youth held accountable in an appropriate juvenile residential program.

The offense occurred September 20, 2019 at the Great Frederick Fair.  Mr. Weed was enjoying a family night at the fair when he was approached by the 15-year-old juvenile male and a couple friends.  The teen and another youth asked Mr. Weed for money.  Mr. Weed said “no”.  The youth kept pursuing Mr. Weed, despite family members begging the youth to leave him alone.  The facts that the teen stipulated included that he hit Mr. Weed twice as Mr. Weed walked away, then his brother got involved and hit him twice.   When Mr. Weed was facing his 16-year-old brother, the respondent came running from a distance and punched Mr. Weed with such force, the photos indicate he had lost consciousness almost immediately.   Mr. Weed never regained consciousness and died of his injuries the next day at Shock Trauma in Baltimore.   The facts as detailed in the Courtroom on Wednesday indicated that not one witness who was present with the respondent, nor Mr. Weed’s family, nor the teen himself, said that this was a race-related incident.  All of the individuals were interviewed by the Frederick County Sheriff’s Detectives and never accused Mr. Weed of using any racial slur.

Following today’s hearing, State’s Attorney Charlie Smith commented, “Holding him responsible for the manslaughter was the very first thing we wanted to accomplish for the family and community, regardless of whether he was tried as an adult or juvenile.  The family and my prosecutors are pleased that has now occurred.” Smith added, “We now turn our efforts toward the disposition set for May 15.  Since the judge made the decision to keep him in the juvenile system, that means the judge and juvenile services will focus on his rehabilitation, not punishment like the adult system.  That’s a reality that we have to deal with, and one the family understands as well.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 21, 2020

Frederick, MD – Today in Frederick County Circuit Court, Judge William R. Nicklas Jr. presided over the waiver hearing of the 15-year-old respondent charged in the September 20, 2019 attack on John Marvin Weed at the Great Frederick Fair.  Closing arguments concluded at 6:35 p.m. and Judge Nicklas will issue his order by the end of next week. The 15-year-old is charged with manslaughter, 1^st degree assault, and 2^nd degree assault. During the waiver hearing today, Chief Prosecutors Laura Wilt (Juvenile), and Rebecca Clinton (Violent Crimes), made argument for the State.  A waiver hearing is a hearing in which the Court decides whether to grant or deny the State’s request to waive the juvenile to adult court jurisdiction.    The State filed a waiver petition on both juveniles which alleges that based on a number of factors the particular youths should be tried as adults, rather than in juvenile court.  The factors the court considers include the seriousness and nature of the offense, public safety, age of the youth, mental and physical condition, and the youth’s alleged amenability to juvenile rehabilitative measures.

Judge Julie Stevenson Solt denied the State’s waiver motion for the 16-year-old co-respondent in a written opinion February 18^th. Therefore, the 16-year-old will remain in the juvenile system pending the conclusion of proceedings.

FREDERICK, MD –  On January 24, 2020, the Frederick Grand Jury returned a fifty-count indictment against Lavonte Darnell Nash, age 27, of Frederick. Mr. Nash is accused of committing First Degree Murder, Attempted First Degree Murder, Retaliation Against a Witness, Use of a Firearm in a Crime of Violence, Illegal Possession of a Regulated Firearm, First Degree Assault, Conspiracy, Distribution of Narcotics, Possession With the Intent to Distribute Narcotics, and Participation in a Criminal Gang.  This afternoon in Frederick County Circuit Court, Nash waived his right to a bond review before Judge Richard Sandy, and thus remains held without bond.

Nash is charged with the premeditated murder of Gregory Knight on June 27, 2019, along with the attempted murder of another individual in connection with that incident. The Defendant is alleged to have distributed cocaine to Mr. Knight in May of 2017. Mr. Knight was to appear as a witness in court against Mr. Nash regarding the resulting drug related charges.

Additionally, the Defendant is charged for his role in two gang-related shootings that occurred on Market Street in downtown Frederick on August 31, 2019, and September 8, 2019.  Nash is charged with distribution of, and possession with intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances throughout the months of August and September of 2019.

The Defendant is alleged to be a member of “PA-32,” a criminal gang and drug-trafficking organization based in the city of Frederick, and operating in the surrounding areas.  The crimes charged are alleged to have been committed by Mr. Nash for the benefit of and in association with the gang.

The indictment is the culmination of a lengthy investigation led by the Frederick Police Department’s Drug Enforcement Unit and Criminal Investigation Section. These divisions, working in close coordination with the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, obtained authorization from the Circuit Court for Frederick County to intercept communications over Mr. Nash’s telephone lines. In late September, multiple search warrants were executed at various locations as a result of the investigation. Mr. Nash was arrested at that time on drug related charges and has been held at the Frederick County Detention Center pending trial.

In response to the fifty-count indictment, State’s Attorney Charlie Smith reacted, “While I cannot comment on the case more specifically, I can say the scope of this case and the efforts put into it by all agencies make it one of the more complex in recent history.  I could easily see it taking three weeks to litigate.”

The investigation was truly a multi-agency effort, with vital support provided by the members of the Frederick HIDTA Group (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) to include the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Investigation Section, Homeland Security Investigations, the Maryland State Police, and the Brunswick Police Department.  Additionally, the investigation operated under the Maryland Criminal Intelligence Network (MCIN), and a portion of the operational expenses were funded through this program.  The Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention (GOCCP) provides grant funding and strategic support to MCIN member sites to identify, disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations through inter-agency collaboration and data sharing to make Maryland safer.  The Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention partially funded this project under sub-award number, MCIN-2020-0016.   All points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the position of any Maryland State office or agency.

The investigation remains ongoing into all incidents and the involvement of other parties. The Office of the State’s Attorney notes that an indictment is a charging document alleging criminal conduct and the defendant is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.