PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — A North Carolina man was arrested earlier this month in Calvert County after deputies say he was found with a loaded handgun in the center console of his pickup truck and moved the firearm under a passenger’s feet during a traffic stop.
At approximately 9:40 a.m. on May 17, a Calvert County deputy observed a Dodge Ram 1500 with North Carolina tags improperly positioned in a turn lane at the intersection of North Solomons Island Road and Fox Run Boulevard. The vehicle was pulled over a short distance away in a parking lot near Educational Systems Federal Credit Union.
As deputies approached, they saw the driver moving items around the center console and shifting something toward the back seat.
The driver was identified as 24-year-old Grayson William Waldrop of Oak Island, North Carolina. According to the deputy’s report, Waldrop said he was in Maryland on a turkey hunting trip with a friend seated in the front passenger seat. When asked about firearms in the vehicle, Waldrop confirmed there was a pistol and a shotgun in the backseat. He did not have a Maryland wear-and-carry permit.
Waldrop gave deputies permission to retrieve the firearms. Officers located a shotgun in the back of the vehicle and a Glock 43X pistol tucked under the feet of a rear passenger, who handed the weapon to deputies by the grip. The pistol, a 9mm Glock, was loaded with a round in the chamber and several rounds in the magazine.
Deputies say Waldrop later admitted the handgun had originally been in the center console but that he moved it to the backseat area upon noticing he was being pulled over.
Waldrop was arrested at the scene and charged with two misdemeanors: transporting a loaded handgun in a vehicle and illegal possession of a handgun in a vehicle. In Maryland, each charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $2,500 fine.
He was released later that day on a $1,500 unsecured personal bond. His trial is scheduled for July 8, 2025. The handgun, ammunition, and holster were logged into evidence by the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office.
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Won’t stick if he is not a Maryland resident
Most bogus charges ever. Educated the man on proper possession and transport and give him a warning. He wasnt trying to do wrong or hurt anyone. When will the police start helping people as much as they ruin them?