Mechanicsville Woman Charged After Suspected Fentanyl, Pipe Found At St. Mary’s Courthouse

LEONARDTOWN, Md. — A Mechanicsville woman was charged after authorities reported finding suspected fentanyl, suspected heroin and a glass pipe in her property while she was being taken into custody at the St. Mary’s County courthouse, according to court documents.

Kimberly Shannon Johnson, 49, of Mechanicsville, is charged with two counts of possession of CDS, not cannabis, and four counts of possession of CDS paraphernalia.

The charges stem from an incident reported around 11:30 a.m. May 21, 2026, at the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center and the St. Mary’s District Court building in Leonardtown.

According to the statement of probable cause, a St. Mary’s County sheriff’s deputy responded to the detention center for a reported controlled dangerous substance violation. The deputy met with a correctional officer, who reported she had been assigned to the transport section at the courthouse when Johnson was remanded to the custody of the sheriff by Judge Tanavage.

Court documents state Johnson was taken into custody as ordered and searched before entering the courthouse’s confined holding area in preparation for transport to the detention center.

During the search of Johnson’s purse, the correctional officer located a short glass pipe with burnt residue, according to charging documents. The correctional officer recognized the item as CDS paraphernalia and contacted the Sheriff’s Office.

A deputy later reviewed the items collected from Johnson. Inside a cigarette pack, the deputy observed a glass tube with burnt residue on one side. The deputy also located an Altoids tin containing a razor blade, a red plastic straw with white powdery residue and a paper wrapper containing tan and white powder.

The deputy identified the glass pipe as an item used to burn and inhale crack cocaine, based on training and experience described in the charging document. The deputy also identified the tan and white powder as suspected heroin and noted that the razor blade and straw were consistent with drug preparation and ingestion, according to court documents.

Johnson was read her Miranda rights and agreed to speak with the deputy, according to the statement of probable cause. Court documents state Johnson identified the glass tube as a pipe used to heat and inhale CDS. The report further states Johnson referred to the folded paper as “dope” and indicated it contained fentanyl.

Court records show Johnson received a $1,000 unsecured personal bond on May 21. The charging document states Johnson was remanded by Judge Tanavage before the search that led to the charges.

A trial/officer scheduling hearing is set for July 30, 2026, in St. Mary’s District Court.

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