PINEY POINT, Md. — A Piney Point man was sentenced to 60 days in jail and three years of unsupervised probation Tuesday after being found guilty of two counts of violating a peace order stemming from repeated confrontations with the petitioner, who is also the mother of his child.
John Daniel Andries, 39, appeared before Judge James Tanavage in St. Mary’s County District Court on June 17, where he was convicted of both charges after pleading not guilty. The charges were filed after an incident on May 11 at the Port of Leonardtown Winery and a subsequent encounter that same day at the Ruddy Duck restaurant in Piney Point.
According to charging documents filed by Deputy Patrick Hudson of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, the victim had been seated at a gazebo at the winery with his girlfriend and her child when he was approached by Andries. The victim told police he reminded Andries of the active court order and advised him to leave. After the encounter, the group left the winery and later went to Ruddy Duck, where they say Andries again appeared, sat near them, and spoke to the child.
The peace order, signed by Judge Tanavage, prohibited Andries from contacting or attempting to contact the petitioner in any way through Sept. 10, 2025. Andries reportedly admitted to speaking to the child and acknowledged he knew the order prohibited him from doing so. He was arrested and transported to the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center.
The petitioner also submitted a peace order petition in the weeks prior, alleging Andries had followed him in his car on four separate occasions—Feb. 5, Feb. 25, Feb. 26, and March 2—and had previously impeded his road access. The petition also cited surveillance behavior at a church and school, along with a history of harassment dating back to a 2022 assault.
Court records show Andries received a 90-day sentence on each of the two charges, with all but 30 days suspended on the first and all 90 days suspended on the second, to be served consecutively. He was released on a $500 unsecured personal bond following his arrest in May and has since been remanded.
If convicted under the same statute again, Andries could face up to 90 days in jail for each violation. All events occurred in St. Mary’s County, Maryland.
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