MARYLAND STATE POLICE BEAT: The Case of Party Time in the Home of the Dead Uncle

Letting a crackhead relative become a housesitter is fraught with peril

SALISBURY, MD. – It was party time in Salisbury where drugs and crime are king. When Charles Haight died, police say that someone in his family allowed a niece of the deceased, with a long history of drug and gun crimes, to stay in his house. When the wayward and homeless niece moved into the house, she brought along two of her criminal crackhead friends where it was party time until the police showed up to investigate a burglar alarm and found three people who had taken up residence in the dead man’s home.

Maryland State Police report that on April 25, 2019, at approximately 12:15 am, Troopers from the State Police Salisbury Barrack and Officers from Salisbury City Police Department, responded to a residential alarm at 1125 Snow Hill Road, Salisbury, Maryland.

Mary Kathryn Megargee, Kevin Ray Cropper, and Descellaus Daymar Hardy found with a gun and drugs in the dead uncle’s house when the burglar alarm went off.

When troopers arrived, they found Mary Kathryn Megargee, 29, of 1012 Riverside Drive, Salisbury, Md., who told the troopers she was living at the residence and did not know the residence had an alarm. That statement must have really alerted the troopers that Megargee was lying. A look at her criminal record must have really stirred the pot.

Police say that two men who were inside the home with Megargee were identified as Kevin Ray Cropper, of 9815 Mason Road, Berlin, Md., and Descellaus Daymar Hardy. 

Megargee told police that her uncle had passed away two weeks prior and she had been staying there, because she was homeless. 

Police say that they checked up on this explanation and learned that Megargee could stay there, but her crackhead buddies were not expected by relatives to be part of her entourage.

Being ever alert for wrongdoing and evidence of crime, the troopers observed two crack pipes in plain view on the kitchen table as crackheads always like to keep their crackpipes handy to fire up for another high – after all – they didn’t have to worry about working for a living when they can sponge off the good fortune of another crackhead who suddenly got a free place to live

Police say that a subsequent probable cause search of the occupants and their person revealed three other crack pipes.  Also located in Megargee’s handbag was a Ruger .22 revolver which can come in handy in case she went to store and found that she didn’t have enough money and could then stick up the joint or for robbing a drug dealer.

Megargee, Hardy, and Cropper were transported to the Salisbury Barrack for processing and upon a secondary search of Hardy’s person two boxes of .22 cal. ammo were located, indicated that the primary search before she was loaded into a police cruiser wasn’t too invasive.

Police say that upon further investigation it was found the shocking news that Hardy provided a false name.  He was identified as Descellaus Daymar Hardy.  Both Hardy and Megargee were prohibited from possessing firearms and or ammo. That’s what happens when criminals have felony convictions.

  • Megargee was charged by Maryland State Trooper Patrick Eckrich with Illegal possession of a firearm, and possession of controlled dangerous substance not marijuana. 
  • Hardy was charged with: Illegal possession of ammo, possession of controlled dangerous substance not marijuana, and providing false statement to police officer.
  • Cropper was charged with possession of controlled dangerous substance not marijuana.

Salisbury City Police Department seized the seventeen long rifles for safe keeping until the home owner can provide ownership.

All three suspects were taken into custody and transported to the Wicomico County Detention Center.

Charles Edward “Chuck” Haight Jr., 85, of Salisbury, Md., died on April 2, 2019, and is the listed owner of the property where police found the man’s niece and two crackheads with guns.

  • Megargee was recently arrested and charged with two counts of cocaine or heroin possession on April 19, 2019, by Maryland State Trooper Honsinger. The taxpayers of Maryland will be paying for her free attorney from the public defender’s office.
  • Megargee was arrested n Feb. 5, 2019, by Maryland State Trooper Frock as she operated a 2002 Mazda on East Railroad Ave. at Anne Street in Salisbury at 11:12 pm. Megargee was arrested on three drug charges and six traffic charges associated with failing to have a permit and driving while revoked and suspended as well as an all-around failure to do good. A trial in Wicomico District Court is pending for May 28, 2019.
  • After pleading guilty in a plea deal with the Dorchester States Attorney on May 22, 2018, to operating a 2015 Kia on Rt. 331 at Maiden Forest Road when cited by Dorchester Sheriff’s Deputy Nick Kienast, while suspended and revoked, proving that she has no intention of bothering with such requirements as obtaining a drivers’ permit, Megargee spent sixty days in the slammer and was put on unsupervised probation for one year. She was also fined $307.50 which court records reflect is outstanding for payment.
  • Megargee was arrested for DWI on April 2, 2009, by Maryland Trooper D. Perro as she operated a 2002 Honda on Beaglin Park Drive near Middle Neck Drive in Salisbury, Md. In a plea deal with the Wicomico States Attorney on July 15, 2009, she received Probation Before Judgment. THE DEAL: No time in jail and $250 fine.
  • Megargee was charged with drug violations by Cpl. Broadwater in Allegany County, Md., and on Oct. 20, 2009, she got a plea deal from the States Attorney the deposited the two drug charges on the Stet Docket.

Kevin Ray Cropper was also charged by Trooper Eckrich and has a trial date set for July 24, 2019 in Wicomico District Court. He was released on his own personal recognizance and is lined up to get a free attorney paid for by the taxpayers of Maryland.

  • Cropper was able to line up a plea deal on a charge of second-degree assault on Jan. 30, 2019 in Wicomico District Court. THE DEAL: Cropper was sent to jail for 18 months with 17 months and 15 days suspended. As part of the evaluation of Cropper after his arrest, he was sent to the Maryland Department of Health for a competency examination by a psychiatrist, paid for by the taxpayers. His current period of probation began on Jan. 30, 2019 and runs for three years, meaning it is likely his backup time will kick in with this arrest.
  • Cropper was the target of a domestic violence complaint in Worcester County District Court and a protective order was filed against him by a Judge on March 6, 2015.  Cropper pleaded guilty to assault on Sept. 25, 2015 in a plea deal with Worcester States Attorney. THE DEAL: 30 days in jail and credit for time served of 30 days. Four other criminal charges were dropped as part of the deal, including felony first-degree assault, which could have landed him in prison for a few years. The taxpayers paid for his attorney, Douglas Wayne Westfall.
  • Cropper found himself collecting a protective order in another domestic violence case issued by a Judge to protect his victim on Oct. 16, 2007.

Descellaus Daymar Hardy, 32, of 112 Cherry Street, Pocomoke City, Md., also gets a free attorney paid for by the taxpayers of Maryland. He was out of the jail lickety-split without posting any bond.

Hardy picked four drug charges and one count of giving a law officer a fraudulent name when arrested on Dec. 5, 2018, by Wicomico Deputy Sheriff Richard Hagel. Hardy failed to appear in court and a Judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest on April 4, 2019. Hardy’s file at the free public defender’s office increased in size with the arrest.  A new trial is set for May 8, 2019, on these charges.

Hardy was arrested by Salisbury City Police Officer J. Hicks on Dec. 14, 2016, and charged with possession of heroin and possession with the intent to distribute, along with lying to the officer about his identity. In a plea deal with the Wicomico States Attorney on March 15, 2017, Hardy entered a guilty plea to the drug administration equipment and possession with intent to distribute charged. THE DEAL: 91 days in jail, with three charges dropped.

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