PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — What began as a routine traffic stop for a busted headlight has spiraled into another legal chapter for a Calvert County man already on probation for drug and firearm convictions.
Andre Taijon Grice, 28, of Prince Frederick, was arrested in the early hours of June 18, 2025, after deputies located a substance they believed to be cocaine and drug paraphernalia during a K-9 search of a vehicle in which he was riding as a passenger. The stop occurred at approximately 12:07 a.m., after a deputy observed a gray passenger vehicle traveling through the area of Route 4 and Main Street with a non-functioning headlight.
The driver provided valid documentation and was warned for the equipment issue. But deputies called in backup — a certified narcotics dog named Benjie — based on prior law enforcement contact involving controlled substances with both individuals in the vehicle. The K-9 unit quickly alerted to the presence of drugs.
A search followed. On the front passenger seat, deputies located a black silicone container inside a bag. Within that container: a white powdery substance suspected to be cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance. Also found in the bag was Grice’s Maryland driver’s license.
Grice was read his Miranda rights around 12:28 a.m. and declined to speak with officers. He was arrested on the spot and charged with possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was later released on his own recognizance following an initial appearance in District Court. The container and substance were submitted to the Maryland State Police Forensic Lab for testing.
The case was formally filed in Calvert District Court on June 18. A trial is scheduled for Aug. 26, 2025, in Courtroom 2. Grice is represented by the Office of the Public Defender in Prince Frederick.
But this isn’t Grice’s first time at the defendant’s table.
Court records show he was previously convicted on June 24, 2024, for felony possession with intent to distribute cocaine and for illegal possession of a regulated firearm. He also pleaded guilty to allowing firearm access to minors, possession of non-cannabis CDS and confining a child unattended. In that earlier case, presided over by Judge Mark S. Chandlee, Grice was sentenced to a total of six years across multiple counts — with all but one year suspended — followed by five years of supervised probation.
Grice’s latest arrest has already triggered a violation of probation hearing, which is scheduled for Sept. 26, 2025, in Calvert County Circuit Court before Judge Chandlee. Prosecutors have not yet moved to consolidate the new charges into the reopened felony docket, but the charges, history and proximity may prompt further coordination.
Under Maryland law, misdemeanor possession of a Schedule II narcotic like cocaine carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail and a $5,000 fine, while possession of paraphernalia may result in a $500 penalty.
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Repeat offender and the public has to pay for his attorney. I’d rather pay for his incarceration. Hope he gets every day of his backup time.
don’t hold your breathe