‘Walking crime spree’ gets eight years in jail

John Thomas Summers, III

Leonardtown, MD — A Charles County man who a St. Mary’s County judge called “a walking crime spree” has been sentenced to eight years in jail. John Summers, III was sentenced Wednesday in St. Mary’s County Circuit Court by Judge David Densford.

Summers, who has addresses listed in both La Plata and Waldorf in court documents, pled guilty on July 17 to Second-Degree Burglary. But that offense was just a culmination of a number of charges, and convictions, in St. Mary’s and Charles counties over an extended period of time.

At the sentencing hearing Deputy State’s Attorney Ted Weiner described Summers as “a junkie who steals.” He asked for the maximum under state guidelines (eight years) for Summers. “At some time the citizens of St. Mary’s and Charles counties deserve a respite from him.”

Summers’ mother and father both testified that they had seen a marked improvement in their son since he was incarcerated for the burglary charge. He has been incarcerated for 117 days. They asked the judge for mercy so he can get into drug treatment.

Summers’ attorney, public defender Kevin Hill said his client takes responsibility for what he has done. “He accepts his history and understands it is what it is,” Hill said. “He realizes he is an addict,” Hill said.

Before sentencing Summers said, “I am not the same person I was.”

But Judge Densford noted Summers’ long criminal record in the two counties, including a conviction in 2013 in Charles County for drug possession and a one–year sentence. He also had a previous armed robbery conviction as a juvenile. The judge said Summers has been in drug treatment five times, apparently all unsuccessful.

Judge Densford sentenced Summers to 10 years but suspended two years of the sentence. He told Summers he should take the advantage of incarceration to seek long-term treatment. “You are not there yet. The public needs to be protected,” Densford concluded.

Weiner said the state did not seek restitution for the victims because apparently jewelry stolen has been recovered by police and will be returned to them.