Surveillance Video Allegedly Shows Couple Pocketing Lost Wallet At Chesapeake Beach Restaurant

CHESAPEAKE BEACH, Md. — An Upper Marlboro couple is facing criminal charges after Calvert County Sheriff’s Office investigators alleged surveillance video captured them picking up a customer’s wallet from the floor of a Chesapeake Beach restaurant before quickly leaving the business without making a purchase, according to court documents.

Tonya Evette Berry, 47, of Upper Marlboro, was charged in the District Court for Calvert County with theft of property valued between $100 and $1,500 and obstructing and hindering. Kenneth Dorrell Buckner, 50, of Upper Marlboro, was separately charged by criminal application with conspiracy to commit theft of property valued at less than $100. Both cases stem from the same July 5, 2026, incident.

According to charging documents filed by the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded at approximately 3:50 p.m. July 5, 2026, to Abner’s Crab House Restaurant & Bar, located at 3748 Harbor Road in Chesapeake Beach, for a reported theft.

Investigators reported the victim told deputies his wallet fell from his pocket while he was inside the restaurant. He said he discovered it was missing after leaving the restroom and checking the bathroom stall, leading him to believe it may have been taken from the area around his bar stool.

Deputies reviewed the restaurant’s surveillance footage and allegedly observed the wallet fall to the floor after the victim stood to use the restroom. According to court documents, the video then showed a man and woman, later identified as Buckner and Berry, walking toward the area where the victim had been seated.

Investigators alleged Buckner noticed the wallet first and, without looking directly at Berry, spoke to her. Berry allegedly looked down, bent over, picked up the wallet and quickly placed it inside her purse before the pair left the restaurant. Deputies reported the couple had been inside Abner’s for less than 10 minutes, did not make a purchase, and left at what investigators described as a high rate of speed after Berry allegedly placed the wallet in her purse.

After obtaining still photographs from the surveillance footage, deputies distributed the images to officers and employees familiar with the area. Additional deputies later located Berry and Buckner inside the Rod ‘N’ Reel Resort, where investigators made contact with the pair.

According to the charging documents, Berry was taken outside, placed under arrest and advised of her Miranda rights. Investigators reported she denied stealing the wallet, despite being told the incident had been captured on surveillance video. When asked why she and Buckner left Abner’s, Berry allegedly stated they departed because there were no available seats. Deputies noted, however, that the restaurant’s upstairs bar had seating and gaming machines available, according to the charging documents.

Authorities searched Berry’s purse, where investigators believed the wallet had been placed, but reported the search did not recover the missing wallet. Deputies seized $166 in cash from Berry’s purse, which investigators identified as suspected stolen property, and submitted it into evidence. Court documents state investigators requested that Buckner be charged with obstructing and hindering and as an accessory to the theft. However, the criminal application ultimately charged him with conspiracy to commit theft of property valued at less than $100.

District Court records show Berry was released on her own recognizance following her July 5 arrest. She is scheduled to appear for a trial-officer scheduling hearing on Aug. 28, 2026, at the Calvert District Court. Buckner is scheduled to appear for a preliminary inquiry on Aug. 31, 2026, at the Calvert District Court.

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