James Roy Chase II, 38, of Mechanicsville
James Roy Chase II, 38, of Mechanicsville, was arrested and charged with multiple offenses following a single-vehicle crash that occurred on December 27, 2025, in Leonardtown, according to court documents filed in the District Court for St. Mary’s County.
Chase is facing a total of 12 charges, including two drug-related misdemeanors—CDS possession not cannabis and possession of paraphernalia—as well as multiple traffic violations, including driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving, and negligent driving.
The incident began around 4:28 p.m., when Maryland State Police Trooper Abdel-Wahab responded to a report of an overturned vehicle on Busy Corner Road. Upon arrival, the trooper made contact with Chase, who was identified via his Maryland driver’s license. Chase, the sole occupant of the vehicle, declined medical assistance and gave vague details about the crash, instead directing the trooper to examine tire marks on the roadway.
During a search incident to arrest, law enforcement located several white rocks of suspected crack cocaine in Chase’s jacket pocket. Additional miniature alcoholic beverage bottles were found near the scene. Following the vehicle’s removal from the ditch by a tow truck, police conducted a further search and recovered additional suspected crack cocaine from the vehicle’s interior, including from the front passenger side floorboard and beneath the center console. An empty bottle of Seagram’s Extra Dry Gin was also found in the back seat.
Chase was transported first to the Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack, where more suspected cocaine was recovered from his jacket, and later to the St. Mary’s County Detention Center. He was initially held without bond but was released on his own recognizance following a bail review hearing on December 29, 2025. A court date has been scheduled for March 3, 2026, in St. Mary’s District Court.
