Ex-con burglar charged with stabbing security guard at Firehouse Pub

PASADENA, MD. — Anne Arundel County Police report that an ex-con who has done time for burglary in Somerset County allegedly stabbed a security guard in a bar. It was the bewitching hour and just in time for the last call for a fight, the indigenous population of the bar began the ancient rites of the bar-flies and began a fight to the finish. When the cops showed up, the fleeing suspects were spotted and fought officers who used a Taser on the driver to remove her from her getaway pickup.

Police say that on December 5, 2015, at 1:21 am, officers responded to the Firehouse Pub located at 8514 Ft Smallwood Road in Pasadena, for a fight in progress. As officers were en route, further calls stated that one of the bar’s security guards had been cut by a male suspect. Upon arrival, several bar patrons pointed the officers to a red Dodge pick-up truck that was attempting to leave the scene. As an officer on foot attempted to stop the vehicle in the parking lot, the vehicle struck the officer while fleeing onto Ft. Smallwood Road.

According to police, a short time later, the suspect vehicle was spotted by an off-duty officer who was traveling in the same area.  Several officers converged on the suspect vehicle and it was stopped a short distance away. The passenger was Zachary John Manley, 28, of 15 South Marylyn Ave., in Essex, Md., who police say was combative when ordered to exit. The female driver, Jessica McQueen, had a knife in view on her waistband and refused commands to exit the vehicle. After several warnings a Taser was utilized and she was taken into custody.

 An on-scene witnesses and bar security footage positively identified the male passenger as the person who had attacked the bar security guard with a knife. The female suspect was positively identified as the driver of the truck, who had intentionally struck the police officer. The injured officer was treated and released for minor injuries at the local medical facility. The bar security guard was taken to a local hospital for treatment for a six-inch laceration to his back.  Both suspects were also taken to a local hospital where they were treated and released.

Manley was committed to the jail on a bail amount of $1,000,000.

When Manley isn’t living in Essex, he has spent time in the Somerset County jail, the Worcester County Jail and the Maryland State Prison at Jessup.

After violating the terms of his probation on a burglary conviction, Worcester County States Attorney Beau Oglesby reopened his case and charged Manley with violation of probation. A warrant was issued on Nov. 23, 2015. While Manley was out on the town in the Firehouse Pub spending money, the taxpayers of Maryland have been paying for his public defender. Now, Manley ditched the public defender and now, as of Nov. 23, 2015, has a criminal defense attorney representing him in the Worcester County case, Julie M. Guyer, of Ocean City. Guyer is a former Maryland State Trooper and a State Prosecutor. An attorney filed in his latest mayhem case in Anne Arundel but court records to not list the name of the barrister.

Manley had entered a guilty plea to first-degree burglary on Oct. 9, 2012, and was sentenced to five years in prison with all of the time suspended, as that is what the liberal Judges and prosecutors do in Maryland. Manley was put on five years’ probation by the plea deal. He now will face his hearing for that criminal charge on Jan. 6, 2016 in the Worcester Courthouse in Snow Hill, Md., and will have deputies provide a ride for him unless some other numbskull Judge allows him to be out on bail. 

In Somerset County, States Attorney Daniel Powell agreed to a plea deal with Manley on a first-degree burglary charge on Dec. 12, 2012, in Somerset Circuit Court presided over by Circuit Court Judge Daniel Long, that ended with Manley being sent to prison for three years. The court records reflect that the sentence was to run concurrently with the sentences imposed in Worcester County, which the reader might recall resulted in the sentence being suspended and the burglar being set loose on the unsuspecting citizens of Maryland. The court records report that on Dec. 26, 2012 a commitment record to the prison were sent. Attorney Guyer represented Manley in that case.

Manley was charged with assault while residing at the Caroline County Jail and in Circuit Court on Oct. 4, 2005, Manley entered a guilty plea in a deal with the Caroline County States Attorney. Manley was sentenced to 3 years in prison with eighteen months suspended.

The court records related that Manley was to be granted work release if he qualifies for work release he is to pay a fee to the detention center and pay restitution owed in another case. By July 11, 2007, Manley had violated the terms of his probation and was headed back to court and more time in jail.

Jessica McQueen, 34, of 8257 New Cut Road in Severn, Md., was given a room in the slammer and when she went before an Anne Arundel County District Court Judge, her bail was set at $100,000 and her trial has been scheduled for March 14, 2016.

McQueen entered into a plea deal with Charles County States Attorney on a drug charge and was sentenced to 142 days in jail on Feb. 25, 2014. She was given credit for time already served of 142 days when she was locked up in 2013.

McQueen entered into a plea bargain with Charles County States Attorney Anthony Covington on March 11, 2014, and she was given 243 days in jail with credit for time already served of 243 days.  She was given supervised probation for five years. On April 24, 2013, her probation was already breached and a warrant was issued for her arrest on June 6, 2013. After a series of Judicial misfires of incorrect papers filed a violation of probation hearing set for Oct. 30, 2015, before Charles County Judge Harrington didn’t happen. On Nov. 17, 2015, another sentencing hearing was set for Feb. 18, 2016, before Judge Harrington.  McQueen will likely be given an escorted trip to La Plata in bracelets unless another dopey Judge lets her out on bail.

 WBOC in Salisbury published this account of the burglary spree in 2012:  

3 Charged in Worcester County Burglary Spree

POCOMOKE CITY and SNOW HILL, Md.– Police in Worcester County have arrested three men in connection with a series of burglaries that occurred in Pocomoke City and Snow Hill.

The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office said that on May 18 deputies responded to a burglary in progress in the 3000 block of Brantley Road in Pocomoke City. According to police, the victim described the suspects as two males driving a gold Honda 4-door with a large scratch on the back bumper.

Police found a vehicle matching this description occupied by three men, traveling northbound on Route 113. Authorities said the trio evaded deputies and attempted to exit the vehicle, but were arrested and detained until additional police units arrived.

Police said the victim was brought to the scene and positively identified both the vehicle and two of the suspects. All three suspects were then transported to the Sheriff’s Office for questioning.                 

Authorities said all three suspects denied any involvement in the burglaries and refused to cooperate with police during interviews. During a search of the suspects’ vehicle, deputies said they recovered all of the initial victim’s stolen property, as well as a large amount of jewelry, electronics, baseball cards, coins and other valuables. Police said that also, three pairs of gloves and burglary tools were also recovered.

Police said a check with local pawn shops showed that Manley had pawned a large amount of jewelry on Thursday, May 17. After obtaining descriptions and photographs of the jewelry, it was positively identified as the property that was stolen in another recent burglary that occurred on the 6000 block of Worcester Highway in Snow Hill.

Brian Keith Waters, 30, of Bivalve, Md.; Marco Phillip Lee, 32, of Quantico; and Zachary John Manley, 24, of Saylorsburg, Pa., were each charged identically for the burglaries on the 3000 block of Brantley Road and the 6000 block of Worcester Highway. All three were also charged with theft, burglary, and malicious destruction of property in connection with a home break-in that occurred on the 3100 block of Brantley Road in Pocomoke City.

 Lee and Manley were held on $25,000 in each case, and Waters was held without bond due to an active arrest warrant in Wicomico County. 

This article in the Maryland Coast Dispatch published on Dec. 20, 2012, described the chain of events that led to yet another incarceration for Manley.

20 Years for Burglary Spree

SNOW HILL — The third of three men arrested in May after county law enforcement officials were able to connect them to a spree of burglaries in the south end of Worcester pleaded guilty last week to first-degree burglary and was sentenced to 20 years in jail.

On May 18, a Worcester County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a residence on Brantley Rd. in Pocomoke for a reported burglary in progress. The victim was able to provide a description of a “beat up” gold Honda four-door with a huge scratch on the back bumper occupied by two African-American males. The deputy observed a vehicle matching the description heading north on Route 113.

When the deputy made a U-turn pursue, the vehicle sped up in an attempt to elude the officer before making a quick turn into a residential driveway. The suspects attempted to exit the vehicle and flee but were ordered to get back in and wait for additional units to arrive to assist.

The victim was brought to the scene and positively identified the vehicle and the two African-American males, Brian Waters, 30, of Bivalve and Marco Lee, 32, of Quantico. Also, in the vehicle was a third suspect identified as Zachary Manley, 24, of Saylorsburg, Pa. The victim also identified personal property recovered from one of the suspects. The three suspects were taken in for interrogation.

A search warrant was obtained for the vehicle and the subsequent search turned up property belonging to the initial victim. Also discovered during the search was a large amount of jewelry, electronics, baseball cards, coins and other valuables. In the trunk of the vehicle, officers discovered three pairs of gloves and burglary tools.

A check with area pawn shops revealed Manley had pawned a large amount of jewelry on the day before, May 17. Detailed descriptions and photographs of the pawned jewelry resulted in the positive identification of items were stolen from a separate burglary on Brantley Rd. from the night before. On Saturday, May 19, a sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to another reported burglary on Brantley Rd. and was able to determine the incident was similar to the other reported burglaries. Detectives were able to determine the property reported stolen had been recovered during the search of the Honda a day earlier. Each of the three suspects was charged with burglary, theft and malicious destruction of property.

Earlier this year, Manley pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary and was sentenced to five years in jail. He was also ordered to pay his share of restitution to the victims. Lee was also found guilty of first-degree burglary and was sentenced to 10 years in jail, all but five of which was then suspended. Waters was found guilty last week and was sentenced to 20 years in jail.

Where is Manley’s burglary co-defendant?

Brian Keith Waters, formerly of Bivalve, Md., and now a resident of the Maryland prison in Hagerstown:

Remember: This is the State of Maryland where when a prisoner is sentenced to 20 years in prison for multiple burglaries and pawning the property of the victims at various Pawn Shops, nothing is really final.

On April 14, 2015, Waters filed for post-conviction relief with the aim to have his sentence reduced. On Sept. 2, 2015, Waters filed for a waiver of the costs of $165.00. The Judge refused and ordered that if Waters didn’t come up with the filing fee, the case would have to be considered withdrawn.  The court record shows that Waters paid the fee on Sept. 18, 2015. Notices have been filed to the Worcester States Attorney Beau Oglesby, to Waters in the prison and attorney David Russell has filed an appearance for Waters on Nov. 30, 2015. A hearing has been set in Worcester County Circuit Court for Feb. 4, 2016.

Before the burglary spree with Manley and Lee, Waters, who got twenty years while Manley was free to bust up redneck bars, had no prior criminal record, at least not in Maryland. Therefore, his stretch in the big house was a great achievement for a criminal just starting out.