Baltimore City – On Monday, July 16, Michael Sean Buchanan, 47, of Fresno, Calif. pled guilty in Baltimore City District Court to operating a tree expert business without a license and false advertising or soliciting an unlicensed tree expert business.
Maryland Natural Resources Police filed charges after the Maryland Forest Service received a complaint from a neighbor of a client of Buchanan’s business, Tree Solutions, Inc. of Baltimore. The complainant alleges that in February of 2006, Buchanan’s crews dropped a portion of a tree on her home during tree care operations on the adjacent property, causing over $6,000 worth of damage. Buchanan was reportedly unresponsive to the complainant’s attempts to get resolution. The neighbor spent weeks during the coldest portion of the year with a hole in her roof and other significant outstanding property damage while trying to get Buchanan to repair the damages.
In April of 2006, Buchanan failed to appear at his trial date and sometime afterward moved to Fresno. In November of 2006, a warrant was issued for Buchanan failing to appear for trial, which was served in December.
According to District Court officials, just prior to the April 2007 trial a woman identifying herself as Buchanan’s mother called the court and advised that Buchanan was deceased, having passed away at St. Agnes Hospital in March of this year. She refused to provide a death certificate to substantiate the allegation.
Buchanan was fined a total of $245 for both offenses.
Anne Arundel County – On Saturday, July 14, the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged Damon Earl Pruitt, 44, of Davidsonville with operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol and operating a vessel while impaired by alcohol.
U. S. Coast Guard (USCG) originally stopped Pruitt’s 23-foot motorboat in the area of the Route 2 Bridge on the South River for a routine inspection. USCG contacted NRP and requested assistance for a possible intoxicated operator. He was subsequently arrested by NRP and transported to the Anne Arundel County Police Southern District where he refused a breath test. He was charged and released to family members.
Baltimore County – On Thursday, July 12, at 11:30 p.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police investigated a boating accident on the Patapsco River near the Dundalk Marine Terminal.
Francis John Paxton, 47, of Baltimore was operating his 17-foot vessel with two passengers onboard when he struck the Francis Scott Key Memorial Buoy. Both passengers were thrown from the vessel on impact. Jill R. Schubert, 40, of Edgemere was transported to the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. Wade C. Graham, 38, of Baltimore and Paxton were not injured.
NRP transported Paxton to shore for field sobriety tests. He was placed under arrest and transported to the Maryland State Police Golden Ring Barrack. Paxton took a breath test, which showed a result of a blood alcohol concentration of .16 percent. Charges are pending.
Baltimore City Police Department and the U.S. Coast Guard assisted NRP with the incident.
Worcester County – On Friday, July 13, at 7:30 p.m., Maryland Natural Resources Police charged a Connecticut man for underage drinking in the campground of Assateague State Park.
Brandon Fuller Grant, 20, of Pomfret Center, Conn. was observed consuming an alcoholic beverage in plain view as officers patrolled the campground. He was charged with possession of an alcoholi