On February 16, 2019 around 7:00 PM, members from the Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff responded to the Exxon store located at 100 Dominion Road in Chester for a reported wanted subject. While in the area, an unoccupied suspicious vehicle was located in the rear parked at that address. Marked units left the area, leaving an undercover officer sitting surveillance. A short time later, the undercover unit observed Jesse James Ringgold and Joshua Shane Ringgold emerging from the tree line which separates the Exxon store from the property of Chesapeake Outdoors and enter the suspicious vehicle. The undercover unit notified marked units who conducted a traffic stop on that vehicle after it left the property. Joshua Ringgold was placed under arrest due to an outstanding arrest warrant. Jesse Ringgold provided a false name and date of birth and was free to leave.
During the processing of Joshua Ringgold, police located a master lock on his person. Around that time, police also were notified that Chesapeake Outdoors may have been burglarized. Based on that information, units responded to Chesapeake Outdoors and discovered that the storage containers behind the building were damaged and displayed evidence of having been ransacked. Additionally, one of the units was missing a master lock. Simultaneous to this, an additional unit from the Sheriff’s Office responded to 203 Kirby Street and learned the true identity of Jesse Ringgold. Both Ringgold subjects were then interviewed separately and gave incriminating statements. Also, surveillance footage from the Exxon store was obtained and revealed the Ringgold subjects walking toward the storage containers through the wood line; Jesse Ringgold is observed to be carrying an object that appears to be bolt cutters.
On July 2, 2019, Joshua Ringgold entered a plea of guilty to Conspiracy Second Degree Burglary in Case No. C-17-CR-19-000238. Additionally, he entered a plea to Reckless Endangerment in Case No. C-17-CR-19-000276 (November 2018 incident in which he distributed controlled dangerous substances to his girlfriend who then overdosed and was resuscitated by Narcan). On the burglary matter, Joshua Ringgold was sentenced to ten years, execution of that sentence suspended as to all but 30 months to serve, consecutive to his sentence on the reckless matter, in which he received five years, execution that sentence suspended as to all but one year and one day to serve. Upon his release from incarceration, Joshua Ringgold will be on five years of supervised probation. Prior to his convictions in these matters, Joshua Ringgold had a minor record consisting of a conviction in 2008 for Possession (not marijuana) and Possession (paraphernalia), a 2010 conviction for Possession (paraphernalia), and a 2018 conviction for Willful Tampering of Vehicle without Owner’s Consent.
On August 9, 2019, after a two day contested trial, a jury found Jesse Ringgold guilty of Attempted Second Degree Burglary and Conspiracy to Commit Second Degree Burglary. Jesse Ringgold was sentenced to eight years on the burglary, consecutive a six year sentence that was imposed as a result of a violation of probation. Prior to his convictions in these matters, Jesse Ringgold had a moderate criminal record consisting of: 2011 Conviction for Two Counts Second Degree Assault, 2011 Conviction for Theft Less Than $100, 2011 Conviction for Fourth Degree Burglary and Theft Less Than $1,000, 2017 Conviction for Possession (not marijuana), 2019 Conviction for Driving without a License, and 2019 Conviction for Fraud ID to Avoid Prosecution.
These cases were prosecuted Christine Dulla Rickard, Deputy State’s Attorney.