Joseph Moreland Bylan, 50, of Dunkirk
Joseph Moreland Bylan, 50, of Dunkirk, is facing new misdemeanor charges in Calvert County for possession of a controlled dangerous substance other than cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia after a May 13, 2026, traffic stop on Maryland Route 260, according to District Court records.
The open case, filed May 14, 2026, in the District Court for Calvert County, also includes related traffic citations alleging impaired driving, reckless driving, negligent driving, driving on a suspended license, failure to drive right of center, driving on a median strip, failure to obey a traffic control device and consuming or smoking alcohol or cannabis in a vehicle on a highway.
A Maryland State Police trooper reported seeing a black Chevrolet Silverado traveling east on Maryland Route 260 near Horace Ward Road in Chesapeake Beach at about 8:41 p.m. on May 13, 2026. The trooper wrote that the truck crossed the solid yellow line, nearly struck a guardrail, drove onto the shoulder, entered the grass median near St. Andrews Drive and later traveled partly in two lanes before the stop was made near Maryland Route 260 and St. Andrews Drive.
According to the charging documents, Bylan was identified by his Maryland driver’s license after the stop. The trooper alleged Bylan moved quickly inside the vehicle, spoke very fast and stumbled over his words. The filing states Bylan denied drinking at first and later said he had “one beer.” The trooper also wrote that Bylan said his ADHD caused him to act that way but that he did not take his prescribed medication.
The trooper reported smelling alcohol on Bylan’s breath and seeing two open 24-ounce Edge malt liquor cans in the driver’s side door, along with an empty 99-brand liquor shot bottle on the passenger seat. During a search after the arrest, police said they found a glass tube described as a suspected crack pipe containing burnt copper wire and suspected crack cocaine in Bylan’s pants pocket, along with an unopened 99-brand liquor shot.
The statement of probable cause says Bylan was taken to the Maryland State Police Prince Frederick Barrack. On the way there, police wrote that Bylan said he had bought beer and a shot for himself and a man who helped put gas in his truck, but also said the other person refused the alcohol.
At the barrack, Bylan allegedly said, “I’m not drunk enough to say love you, however, appreciate it,” while speaking to the trooper. Police said he agreed to a breath test but then became uncooperative and gave only a small puff, which was counted as a refusal. On the way to the jail, Bylan allegedly said he did it intentionally because he “knew the law” and believed it would help him “get away with it,” referring to the DUI charge.
At his initial appearance on May 14, 2026, court records show Bylan waived an attorney for that hearing only. A commissioner set a $2,500 unsecured personal bond, which was posted the same day.
His release conditions included appearing in court, not engaging in criminal conduct, abstaining from alcohol or abusive use or possession of controlled substances without a prescription, and completing an evaluation with Calvert Behavioral Health and following all recommendations. A trial is scheduled for June 24, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. in Courtroom 2 at Calvert District Court.
The May case came one day after Bylan appeared in court in a separate Calvert County case filed February 7, 2026. In that closed case, court records list Bylan under the name Joseph Mooreland Bylan and show he pleaded guilty on May 13, 2026, to disorderly conduct. Judge Robyn Riddle granted probation before judgment with an unsupervised probation period of 18 months and imposed a 60-day jail term that was fully suspended.
Charging documents in the February case originally listed second-degree assault, intoxicated endangerment and obstructing and hindering. The Calvert County Sheriff’s Office filing alleged deputies responded on February 6, 2026, to Southern Maryland Boulevard in Dunkirk for a report of a disorderly person. The adult female victim, described in the documents as Bylan’s roommate, told dispatchers that her male roommate was intoxicated, trying to get into her room and throwing items around the residence.
According to the February statement of probable cause, deputies said the adult female victim had bags of clothing and planned to leave because she was afraid she would be assaulted. Deputies wrote that Bylan came out of the residence, yelled for the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office deputies to leave and had slurred speech.
The filing states that when deputies escorted the adult female victim back inside to retrieve belongings and a phone charger, Bylan told deputies they did not have a warrant and allegedly pushed a deputy on the shoulder. Deputies said Bylan was then taken to the floor and arrested.
Court records show Bylan was released on personal recognizance after the February initial appearance, with conditions including no contact or harassment of the adult female victim and no use of alcohol, drugs or controlled substances. That case was later concluded on May 13, 2026.
