PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — A Calvert County man with a recent connection to a narcotics investigation was arrested late last month after deputies found him allegedly trespassing on the grounds of a local church — and, according to police, discarding what they believed to be suspected cocaine as officers approached.
Corey Cornell Thomas, 44, of Prince Frederick, was taken into custody on June 22, 2025, at approximately 10:59 p.m. outside Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church on Church Street. Calvert County deputies reported locating Thomas and another individual on the church’s fenced-in playground, which prominently displayed multiple “No Trespassing” signs. At the time, Thomas had allegedly just left the scene of a separate drug investigation involving a K-9 alert to narcotics in a vehicle he had occupied.
Deputy R. Campbell, who authored the statement of probable cause, noted that Thomas was positively identified based on his clothing from the earlier encounter. As officers approached, Thomas was reportedly seen reaching into his front pants pocket and throwing objects away — an action deputies said appeared consistent with efforts to discard contraband.
After being detained, Thomas was searched. Deputies recovered two plastic bag tear-offs containing a trace of white powder believed by officers to be cocaine in the same pocket. Officers also located a metal smoking device in his left shoe — described in official documents as an improvised pipe with burnt copper residue. According to deputies, such devices are commonly associated with crack cocaine use. The suspected narcotics were seized and submitted to the Maryland State Police laboratory for chemical analysis.
Deputies transported Thomas to the Calvert County Detention Center, where he was formally charged with trespassing on posted property, possession of a controlled dangerous substance (not cannabis), and possession of drug paraphernalia. All three are misdemeanors under Maryland law. Possession of a Schedule II controlled substance such as cocaine carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $5,000 fine. The paraphernalia charge adds a potential $500 fine, and trespassing can result in up to 90 days in jail and/or a fine.
Thomas’s identity was confirmed via prior booking photos, and he is well known to deputies from previous encounters. He is currently represented by the Calvert County Public Defender’s Office.
Thomas appeared before Judge Robert C. Wilcox on June 24 for a bond review. The court elected to hold him without bond pending further hearings. A jury trial is currently scheduled for July 23, 2025, in Courtroom 1 of the Calvert District Courthouse.
Court documents indicate the initial cocaine-related investigation that preceded the trespassing arrest remains open under a separate case number, but no additional charges from that vehicle stop have been filed — yet.
The investigation continues.
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