Five men who were charged in an August home invasion robbery will have separate trials after the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office dropped a motion Thursday to try them together.
Devin Lamar Harris, 23, of Brunswick, Forrest Wendell Offord, 25, of Dickerson, and Jerame Dwayne Duvall, 23, Montrey Dangelo Harrison, 21, and Isaiah Michael Martin, 23, all of Frederick, face robbery, gun and drug charges in connection with the Aug. 18 home invasion. According to charging documents, the five men approached a man who was standing in front of his house in the Tuscarora Knolls subdivision, and one of them displayed a gun and ordered the man inside the house.
One man held him at gunpoint while another took items from the house valued at several thousand dollars, the documents state.
The five men were arrested when the SUV in which they were traveling was pulled over on Willowdale Drive after a description of the robbers’ vehicle had been broadcast.
Police found stolen items from the house, three handguns — two with the serial numbers removed — and marijuana in the SUV, according to the documents.
Assistant State’s Attorney Jason Shoemaker said a motion to suppress involving the traffic stop will be heard with all five men present. But motions to suppress on any statements made by the men, as well as their trials, will be held separately, Shoemaker said. Judge G. Edward Dwyer ordered the trial dates be set for no earlier than Feb. 10.
Defense attorneys for the men had filed a motion to have the trials held separately, but it was declared moot when prosecutors dropped their motion.
