Former St. Mary's Officer Pleads Guilty to Cash Theft

State of MD - A former correctional officer with the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office (SMCSO) has admitted in court that he stole cash from a woman's purse while she was being booked into jail. That money had been turned in as evidence.

Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III announced that Dayvon West pleaded guilty to Felony Theft. West will be sentenced at a later date.

According to the statement of facts read into the court record, in February 2026, West worked as a correctional officer at the county's detention center. Part of his job was handling intake and booking for people being brought in, and that included taking an inventory of what they had with them.

On February 28, 2026, at approximately 8:15 p.m., a SMCSO deputy arrested a woman. The deputy took her purse, which held an envelope with $3,640 in cash along with some of her other personal things.

A deputy then drove the woman and her property, purse included, to the detention center. They got there at approximately 9:15 p.m.

At approximately 10:19 p.m., West started searching the woman's purse. Surveillance video shows him taking the envelope with approximately $3,640 inside and putting it in his pocket.

Howard shared a statement about the case: "Our Office is committed to holding all public officials accountable for any violation of the authority, trust, or responsibility with which they were entrusted," stated Howard. "That accountability is necessary to preserve a fair and honest justice system."

Howard thanked Assistant State Prosecutors Abigail Ticse and Stephanie Haddad, Deputy State Prosecutor Sarah David and Senior Special Agent George Taylor for their work on the case. He also thanked the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office for helping with the investigation.