David Allen Roberts, 34, of Prince Frederick
David Allen Roberts, 34, of Prince Frederick, is facing separate criminal cases in Frederick and Calvert counties, including felony charges tied to a Frederick County commercial burglary and suspected arson, as well as 14 misdemeanor animal cruelty-related charges filed in Calvert County.
In Frederick County, Roberts is charged with second-degree burglary, second-degree arson, first-degree malicious burning, and theft between $25,000 and $100,000. Court records show the case was filed May 14, 2026, in District Court for Frederick County.
According to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, deputies first responded on May 3, 2026, to a reported commercial burglary at a business on Lander Road in Jefferson. Numerous items were reported stolen from the property, including a skid steer, zero-turn mower, flatbed trailer, machinery, construction materials, and tools.
The next day, deputies and Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services personnel were called back to the same location for a building fire. Fire marshals and detectives later determined the fire was likely intentionally set, and arson was suspected.
During the investigation, detectives learned some of the stolen property may have been taken to Calvert County. Frederick County detectives coordinated with the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, which confirmed that property matching the stolen items appeared to be on private property in Prince Frederick.
Investigators later developed information that the stolen property could be discarded or destroyed overnight. Authorities obtained a search warrant for a property on Armory Road in Prince Frederick.
Around 3 a.m. on May 14, 2026, deputies from the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office and detectives from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office executed the warrant. During the search, investigators recovered approximately $50,000 worth of stolen property connected to the Frederick County burglary investigation.
Roberts was arrested at the scene and taken to the Frederick County Adult Detention Center. Court records show he was ordered held without bond on May 14, 2026. After a bond review hearing on May 15, 2026, Judge Eric W. Schaffer again ordered him held without bond. A preliminary hearing in the Frederick County case is scheduled for June 11, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. in Frederick District Court.
In a separate Calvert County case, Roberts is charged with eight counts of animal cruelty failure to provide and six counts of animal cruelty. The charges were filed April 9, 2026, in District Court for Calvert County. Court documents identify the complainant as ACO Bell-Bussler with the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office.
The Calvert County charging documents state that on April 2, 2026, Calvert County deputies, a State’s Attorney investigator, and animal control personnel went to a home on Armory Road in Prince Frederick to serve a search and seizure warrant. Authorities reported finding about 20 animals inside the home, with 17 seized and about 12 described as being in the custody, care, and control of Roberts and another person listed in the documents.
The application for charges states that authorities observed several animals allegedly without proper water, food, bedding, or sanitary conditions. The animals described in the filing included pit bull-type dogs, guinea pigs, ducklings, and young turkeys. The documents allege that some animals lacked water in kennels or containers, some did not have proper bedding, and others had food or water conditions described as contaminated, unsecured, or insufficient.
The Calvert County charging papers also state that Roberts and another person had previously been found guilty on December 9, 2025, of several counts of animal cruelty and neglect in separate 2025 cases. According to the application, Judge Gregory Powell ordered both individuals not to own or possess animals during probation.
The Calvert County case was initiated by criminal summons, which was issued April 9, 2026, and served April 20, 2026. Court records show Roberts was found eligible for the Public Defender on May 14, 2026, and the Calvert County Public Defender’s Office entered an appearance on May 15, 2026.
Both cases remain open in district court.
