During September of 2017 and May of 2018, members of the Criminal Investigations Unit of Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff responded to and investigated a number of small businesses in the Chester, Grasonville, and Stevensville areas that had been burglarized. The notable features of these burglaries included rear doors being pried open, small amounts of cash and change stolen, and smoked cigarette butts discarded outside the windows and doors.  At several of the locations surveillance footage revealed the suspect committing the offenses.  After a joint investigation with Anne Arundel County Police Department and the Howard County Police Department, law enforcement developed a suspect in these burglaries as well as a number of other burglaries across the state and identified him as David Warren Chilcote, Sr., a resident of Essex, Maryland with a date of birth of April 20, 1952.  Ultimately, law enforcement conducted a search and seizure warrant at Mr. Chilcote’s residence, where he was present and seized a number of items, including the clothing worn by the suspect which was captured on the multiple pieces of surveillance footage.  Additionally, law enforcement identified Mr. Chilcote as the person on the footage.

Prosecution teams from the relevant jurisdictions discussed Mr. Chilcote’s criminal matters and proposed a plea arrangement which will ensure Mr. Chilcote’s incarceration at the Division of Corrections for what potentially may be the rest of his life.  In Case Nos. C-17-CR-18-000410 and Case No. C-17-CR-18-000500, Mr. Chilcote entered a plea of guilty to two counts of Second Degree Burglary.  It is anticipated that Mr. Chilcote will be entering pleas of guilty to a count of Second Degree Burglary in Anne Arundel County and Second Degree Burglary in Howard County.  The Honorable Thomas G. Ross sentenced Mr. Chilcote on December 11, 2018 to ten years to serve.  It is anticipated that Anne Arundel County will impose ten years concurrent and Howard County will impose ten years consecutive.  The purpose of this plea was to ensure that Mr. Chilcote will be ineligible for parole until he is 76 years old.  Upon his release from incarceration at that time, Mr. Chilcote will be released into the custody of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania where he faces additional incarceration for parole violations.  Mr. Chilcote’s criminal record consists of seven prior felony burglaries as well as other offenses.  Additionally, judgments of restitution have been entered in favor of all victims.

The case was prosecuted Christine Dulla Rickard, Deputy State’s Attorney.