GREAT MILLS, Md. — A Great Mills man is being held without bond following his arrest on charges of first-degree rape and assault in what authorities describe as a violent domestic incident.
According to charging documents filed in St. Mary’s County District Court, deputies responded on May 28 to a residence on Taras Court for a reported domestic assault. Upon arrival, deputies spoke with a woman who alleged that her husband, 40-year-old Chee Wei Gary Tan, had physically and sexually assaulted her following an argument.
The woman told investigators that Tan became violent after she declined to have intercourse. She alleged he struck her multiple times in the face and strangled her to the point she had difficulty breathing. The deputy reported that the victim had bruising to both sides of her mouth, red cheeks, a bloody nose, and neck marks consistent with strangulation. She also reported that the assault occurred while Tan forced intercourse against her will.
Deputies arrested Tan at the scene. During a follow-up interview, authorities say Tan admitted to engaging in intercourse and acknowledged the argument. He also admitted to grabbing the woman by the throat during the incident, according to police.
Tan was charged with first-degree rape—a felony punishable by up to life in prison when physical injury is involved. He also faces one count of first-degree assault, which carries a maximum penalty of 25 years, and one count of second-degree assault, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 10 years and/or a $2,500 fine.
At a bond review hearing on May 29, Judge Karen Christy Holt Chesser ordered Tan held without bond at the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 26, 2025, in St. Mary’s County District Court.
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