MECHANICSVILLE, Md. — A traffic stop in St. Mary’s County led to the arrest of a man on multiple drug- and firearm-related charges after officers discovered suspected cocaine and two loaded weapons inside his vehicle.
On Feb. 20, 2025, at approximately 9:01 a.m., a Maryland State Police trooper stationed in a parking lot on Loveville Road observed a gold Honda Accord with no front registration plate, a cracked windshield, and a driver not wearing a seat belt. The trooper initiated a traffic stop on Coonhunters Road, where the vehicle came to a stop.
Upon approaching the vehicle, officers identified the driver as Patrick Wayne Wood II, 23. While speaking with Wood and his female passenger, officers observed a clear plastic bag containing a white powdery substance on the passenger-side floorboard. When questioned, Wood allegedly admitted the substance was cocaine.
A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of additional suspected drugs and firearms. On the back seat floorboard, officers found a Winchester lever-action rifle loaded with five rounds of .30-30 caliber ammunition. Inside the center console, they located a black Rossi .38-caliber revolver, fully loaded with five rounds. A glass smoking device with suspected cocaine residue was found under the front passenger seat, and another plastic bag containing suspected cocaine was located inside the trunk. Officers also recovered multiple rounds of .38-caliber, .30-30 caliber, and 12-gauge shotgun ammunition inside the driver’s area.
Wood was taken into custody and transported to the St. Mary’s County Detention Center, where he was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance other than cannabis, which carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison and/or a $25,000 fine per count. He was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by a $500 fine per count.
In addition to the drug charges, Wood faces multiple firearm-related offenses, including illegal possession of a handgun in a vehicle and illegal possession of a handgun on his person, both misdemeanors punishable by up to three years in prison and/or a $2,500 fine each. The charges related to possessing a loaded handgun in a vehicle and on his person each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
Following a bail review hearing on Feb. 21, 2025, before Judge James Tanavage, Wood was ordered to be held without bond. His next scheduled court appearance is April 10, 2025, at St. Mary’s County District Court.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have sent the suspected cocaine for further testing at the Maryland State Police lab.
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