Erick Nicohlas Gage, 26, of Waldorf
Erick Nicohlas Gage, 26, of Waldorf, is facing multiple firearm and ammunition charges after investigators say he illegally possessed a handgun and later admitted the weapon discharged while inside his clothing during a New Year’s Day incident.
According to court documents filed in the District Court for Charles County, Gage is charged with illegal possession of a regulated firearm, wearing and carrying a handgun on his person, carrying a loaded handgun on his person, and two counts of illegal possession of ammunition.
Investigators with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office began the investigation on January 1, 2026, after officers responded to Charles Regional Medical Center for a report of an adult male victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the testicles.
According to charging documents, Gage told officers he had been attending a New Year’s Eve gathering at his mother’s home on Saint Rita Drive in Waldorf when he became involved in a confrontation with another man in the kitchen. Gage initially told officers that the unidentified male shot him with a handgun during the altercation.
Investigators collected the clothing Gage was wearing and documented multiple holes and suspected blood stains in several garments. Detectives reported finding what appeared to be gunshot residue on the inside of his boxer briefs, writing that such residue “could only appear on the inside of boxer briefs if the gun was inside of the pants at the time it was fired.”
Detectives obtained and executed a search warrant at the residence the same day. During the search, investigators located a projectile beneath the kitchen subfloor in an area where a hole was observed in the hardwood flooring, which they said was consistent with the location where Gage reported the shooting occurred. However, authorities did not recover a firearm or shell casing from the home.
Witnesses who were present at the time were interviewed but were unable to identify a suspect or confirm the events described by Gage, according to investigators.
On March 3, 2026, Gage was taken into custody by the United States Marshals Service on an unrelated arrest warrant from Delaware. Authorities reported he was located at an apartment on Amber Leaf Place in Waldorf. During a search of the residence, detectives located a black backpack in a bedroom closet containing a box of .45-caliber ammunition with live rounds inside.
Investigators said Gage later admitted the backpack belonged to him but claimed the ammunition belonged to his brother. According to the charging documents, Gage acknowledged he knew the ammunition was in the bag and had been carrying it with him despite being prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to a previous conviction.
During an interview with detectives, Gage also changed his account of the New Year’s incident. Investigators wrote that he eventually told them he had taken a handgun from another man’s hip during the confrontation and placed it “in the front of his pants down in his underwear.” According to the statement, the weapon discharged during a struggle and he was shot.
Based on the investigation, detectives concluded the evidence indicated Gage shot himself while the firearm was concealed in his clothing and that he knowingly possessed the handgun despite being prohibited from doing so.
Court records show Gage was also held without bond following an initial appearance before a judicial officer in Charles County.
A preliminary inquiry hearing in the case is scheduled for April 20, 2026, in the District Court for Charles County.
Erick Nicohlas Gage, 26, of Waldorf
