Robert Derek Simms, 36, of Waldorf
Robert Derek Simms, 36, of Waldorf, has been charged in connection with a July 2025 road rage incident in Charles County that resulted in gunfire and minor injuries to an adult male victim, according to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident occurred on July 10, 2025, when the victim stopped at a red light at the intersection of Billingsley Road and Middletown Road. According to court documents, a motorcycle rider pulled alongside the vehicle and fired multiple rounds, shattering a passenger-side window and causing minor abrasions to the victim. The shooter fled the scene, and the victim called 9-1-1.
Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division launched an investigation and eventually identified Simms as the suspect. Investigators reported that surveillance footage showed a man matching Simms’ description—wearing a green zip-up jacket, sunglasses, and ripped jeans—riding a motorcycle before the shooting. The clothing and motorcycle were later observed during surveillance near Simms’ residence.
On August 5, 2025, detectives executed a search warrant at Simms’ home on Jermaine Place in Waldorf. During the search, a loaded CZ SP01 Phantom 9mm handgun with its serial number obliterated was found inside a backpack under a bathroom sink. That bathroom, according to detectives, was located near Simms’ bedroom. Investigators also recovered clothing consistent with what the shooter was seen wearing in surveillance footage.
Simms is legally prohibited from owning a firearm due to a prior conviction for second-degree assault from 2010 in Charles County.
He was arrested on the scene and booked into the Charles County Detention Center.
Simms now faces 12 charges, including:
- First-degree assault
- Second-degree assault
- Firearm use in a felony or violent crime
- Possession of a firearm by a person with a felony conviction (two counts)
- Possession of a firearm without a serial number (two counts)
- Reckless endangerment
- Reckless endangerment from a motor vehicle
- Carrying a handgun on his person (two counts)
- Carrying a handgun in a vehicle
At a bond review hearing held on August 6, 2025, a judge ordered Simms to be held without bond, citing the likelihood that he posed a danger to the victim and public safety. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 3, 2025, at the Charles County District Court.
The case remains under investigation by Detective C. Gregory of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office.
Robert Derek Simms, 36, of Waldorf
