Arrest Made In Berlin Raid

WBOC

BERLIN, Md.- Authorities say a month-long investigation related to the distribution of crack cocaine in Berlin has led to the arrest of an 38-year-old man on a variety of drug charges.

The Worcester County Sheriff's Office said the probe revealed that Alford Hardy of Berlin was distributing various quantities of crack cocaine from a home on Dinges Road. On Friday, Aug. 5, police executed a search and seizure warrant at the home.

During the raid, Hardy was placed under arrest for distribution of crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, and possession of crack cocaine.

Hardy was locked up in the Worcester County Jail on a $75,000 bond.

The Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Ocean City Police Department Narcotics Unit and the Maryland State Police– Berlin Barrack.

Source;  http://www.wboc.com/story/15229769/suspected-drug-dealer-arrested-in-berlin-raid

Police Departments Working Together

What Corporal Katie Edgar did Tuesday night, February 15, 2011 was something that most of us only see on television. Her agility and quick thinking helped nab a burglar who may have otherwise gotten away with the chances of stealing again in the near future.

It is so wonderful to know that Worcester County Sheriff Reggie Mason and Worcester County Deputies, Worcester County Bureau of Investigation, State's Attorney Beau Oglesby and the Maryland Police Homicide Unit are there for the citizens ready to do the job quickly and efficiently.

The hard dangerous work they all do is something most of us take for granted and only witness on television. While Corporal Katie Edgar was fearing for her life and trying to get grips on a criminal and while so many of the police agencies joined their forces to work on the crime scene the majority of citizens were snug at home totally unaware of what was happening.

Great job and thank you Corporal Edgar and to your K-9 also. And a big hoorah to the forces that aided her.

This just goes to show you the amount of true professionalism citizens get when they elect the right leaders to do the job.

Ocean Downs Casino Now Open

State officials were on hand Tuesday for the grand opening of Maryland's second slots casino.

Ocean Downs opened for business Tuesday afternoon with 750 slot machines available.

Gov. Martin O'Malley led the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The line of gamblers and the curious assembled long before, 11 News reporter David Collins said. Even those with long life experiences enjoyed it.

"This is magnificent. I've been to Vegas and I've been around. This is just as good as anything I've seen anywhere else," said former Gov. Marvin Mandel.

The casino is currently operating 750 of its 800 slot machines, including video BlackJack games and a roulette wheel.

The $45 million facility employs 236 people. The building isn't flashy, and owner William Rickman said it's not meant to be.

"We're never going to set the world on fire here. We have 800 machines. We will probably stay at that for quite some time. It is just going to be an addition to the community," he said.

The casino is Maryland's second slots parlor. A 2008 voter referendum allows for five parlors to be built, but the Ocean Downs location, which is about five miles outside of Ocean City, has more restrictions than any other location in the state.

The restrictions were necessary to get the bill passed through the General Assembly, but Senate President Mike Miller took strong exception to them and vowed change.

"This is nonsense personified. This is a great facility. This man had to do it by overcoming every restriction possible," Miller said. "You go to a casino and they offer a group of games. He can't do that here. They offer free food. He can't offer that here. They have a hotel you can stay in. He can't do that. They have a golf course. He can't have that here. They have amusements. He can't have any."

Miller continued, "The only thing he can have is one piano. What kind of nonsense is that?"

The restrictions were necessary to appease residents in and around Ocean City. Many businesses joined in on residents' concerns about slots tarnishing the resorts family image, but the frosty reception shows signs of thawing.

"There are lots of good opportunities out there. I believe hotels are discussing partnerships," said Tom Perlozzo of the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce.

"We are talking with restaurants and golf courses," said Ocean Downs General Manger Joseph Cavilla.

The governor said the casino is a good thing.

"I think the legislation was very narrowly drawn and narrowly crafted, and I do not believe it will be a hurt to Ocean City. In fact, on the contrary, I think it will be an added attraction," O'Malley said.

Few places are open this time of year in Ocean City, and the casino appears to be a welcome adult attraction, Collins reported.

Officials said 5.5 percent of slots proceeds will be set aside for local impact grants, and 60 percent of that will go to Worcester County. Ocean City will get 20 percent of the revenues, and 10 percent will go to the town of Berlin. Another 10 percent will go to the community of Ocean Pines.

After a test run before the grand opening, the casino donated $10,000 in slots revenues to American Legion Post 166 in recognition of its charitable work. The casino management matched the proceeds.

www.msn.com

Neighbors Called Womans Son Odd And Aggressive

Residents in Darby, Pa., were only mildly shocked to hear that a local man was arrested on murder charges last week in Worcester County, after police said he pushed his elderly mother out of his van and deliberately ran her over several times.

Steven Molin, 58, was charged with murder on Sept. 1 in the death of his mother, 85-year-old Emily Molin. He told police his mother fell out of his work van while they were driving down a country road outside Berlin and he must have hit her when backing up to go look for her, but the police said the evidence pointed to a deliberate act.

Neighbors living in the Pennsylvania town of Darby, where the Molins lived, were saddened by the news of Emily Molin’s death. But few were truly shocked to learn that her son was accused of killing her in such a bizarre and violent manner.

“It was kind of a shock to me that he would go to this length, but then again, I’m not really all that shocked,” said Paula Brown, a former mayor of Darby who has known the Molins for more than 30 years. “He has been quite a character. He’s quite aggressive. If you didn’t agree with his point of view he would get very, very aggressive with you.”

According to the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation, Molin allegedly ran over his mother two or three times. The story he told police that she accidentally fell out of his van did not add up with the evidence.

Emily Molin was a sweet woman who did not deserve to die in that manner, Brown said. She said Steven was extremely controlling with his mother when they lived together, often refusing to let her speak with the neighbors, and social services had moved Emily out of their home. He has an odd personality that made many people in the town uncomfortable, she said.

“He controlled her all the time. If I would go to the door to hand out information when I was on council and the mayor, he would sometimes push her in the house if he didn’t want her to speak to you any more,” Brown said. “A lot of people in Darby are very sad over this. Mrs. Molin was a lovely person.”

Molin is a self-employed handyman in Darby. His arrest in Worcester County was not Molin’s first brush with the law. In 1982, he was convicted on aggravated assault charges, according to online court records, and three years later, he was sentenced to two to four years in prison for receiving stolen property. Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty to harassment charges. He also burned down a dentist’s office he was working on in Darby.

Molin is being held at the Worcester County Jail with no bond. A preliminary hearing in the case has been scheduled for Sept. 30 in Snow Hill District Court. The residents of Darby will be keeping a close watch on the case, Brown said.

www.oceancitytoday.com

Son From Pennsylvania Arrested In Mother's Murder

BERLIN, Md.- Detectives with the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation have arrested a Pennsylvania man on murder and related charges after they say he intentionally ran over his elderly mother with a vehicle.

Steven Frederick Molin, 58, of Darby, Pa., is charged with first- and second-degree murder and manslaughter. He is being held without bond in the Worcester County Detention Center.

At around 11:57 p.m. Tuesday, deputies with the Worcester County Sheriff's Office responded to a reported motor vehicle accident on Carey Road in Berlin. When police arrived on the scene, 85-year-old Emily Belle Molin, also of Darby, was transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury where she died from injuries sustained in the reported accident.

Investigators learned that Steven Molin was the driver of the vehicle. According to police, Molin claimed that his mother fell out of the moving vehicle. He explained that he backed up after he discovered she had fallen out of his vehicle. Police say it was reported that Molin had driven over his mother two or three times before stopping the vehicle.

It was at that point that the WCBI was notified and responded to conduct a criminal investigation. Investigators interviewed Molin. Police say that in addition, a forensic detective identified evidence that was not consistent with the reported incident.

Based upon the interview and forensic evidence Molin was arrested on the aforementioned charges. Police have not yet released a possible motive.

Detectives are still actively investigating this incident. Anyone who may have been traveling on Carey Road between Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, and saw anything suspicious is urged to call the WCBI at (410) 352-3476 or the Sheriff's Office at (410) 632-1111.

www.wboc.com