PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — An unhoused man with prior trespassing cases was arrested after allegedly identifying himself to police as a deputy during an incident at a Solomons shopping center. Melvin Oneil Jefferson, 56, was taken into custody Aug. 18 and charged with trespassing and obstructing and hindering law enforcement, according to court records.
The incident occurred around 1 a.m. on Aug. 18, when Deputy R. Contic was on patrol in the Solomons area of Calvert County. According to the deputy’s report, he observed a shirtless man wearing dark-colored pants walking through the Roy Rogers parking lot at 14000 HG Trueman Road before entering the Patuxent Plaza Shopping Center. Contic recognized the man as Jefferson, who had been issued a trespass order from the Roy Rogers location by Deputy First Class Kwitowski at management’s request.
When the deputy made contact and requested identification, Jefferson allegedly refused to provide his name. In the report, the deputy wrote that Jefferson claimed his name was “Deputy Contic.” When another deputy on scene said “Melvin,” Jefferson looked in that direction. The Calvert County Emergency Communications Center later sent deputies a photograph of Jefferson to confirm his identity.
Court filings state that Jefferson was placed under arrest for trespassing and obstructing and hindering law enforcement. Deputies noted in their reports that he also refused to identify himself to correctional officers at the Calvert County Detention Center during booking. He was transported without incident and later released on a $1,000 unsecured personal bond, court records show.
Court documents also show Jefferson was previously charged in a July 23, 2025, trespassing case at the Quality Inn on Lore Road. In that case, a manager reported that Jefferson entered the lobby despite a Maryland State Police trespass order issued in 2022. Surveillance footage provided to deputies allegedly showed him entering the building and attempting to obtain coffee before being directed to leave by staff.
The charges Jefferson faces carry maximum penalties under Maryland law. Trespassing on private property is punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine, while obstructing and hindering law enforcement carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Both charges are classified as misdemeanors.
Court records list Jefferson’s address as unknown. He has a trial scheduled for Sept. 17, 2025, on the August charges. Judge Robyn Riddle issued a bench warrant on Sept. 8 after Jefferson failed to appear for a preliminary hearing in the July case.
The Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office is prosecuting both cases, with proceedings taking place in Calvert County District Court in Prince Frederick.
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