On March 11 at 11:40 a.m., officers initiated a traffic stop in the 9900 block of Crain Highway in Faulkner after a computer check revealed the tags on the vehicle belonged to a different car. Upon approaching the driver, the officer detected the odor of burnt marijuana. He also noticed a large amount of suspected marijuana in plain view in the front passenger seat. A loaded firearm was also recovered inside the vehicle. The driver, Derek Robert Ward, III, 30, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with illegally transporting a firearm, possession of a firearm, and other related charges. A district court commissioner released Ward on a $5,000 unsecured bond later that day. The investigation into the recovered drugs is continuing.
Derek Robert Ward, III
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The Charles County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) in 2001 and has since earned the highest rating of Excellence. Established in 1658, the CCSO is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. For more information, visit www.ccso.us.
Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at www.charlescountycrimesolvers.com or by using the P3Intel mobile app, which can be found in the Android Store and Apple store by searching P3tips. For more information about the P3 program, click on this link: www.p3intel.com.