Louis Eugene Messineo, 31, of Mechanicsville
Louis Eugene Messineo, 31, of Mechanicsville, is facing nine charges after police said he stole a purse from the Mechanicsville Moose Lodge, disrupted a poker event and was later found with suspected controlled substances. He is charged with four counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance other than cannabis, possession of drug paraphernalia, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace/disorderly conduct, trespassing on posted property and theft of $100 to under $1,500.
The charges stem from a July 2, 2026, response by Maryland State Police to the Mechanicsville Moose Lodge on Mechanicsville Road in Mechanicsville for a reported theft. According to the allegations, a trooper arrived and found Messineo lying in the parking lot, being detained by bystanders who were members of the lodge. The filing states Messineo was dressed in all black, with visible face and neck tattoos.
Police said Messineo told the trooper, “I fu##ed up,” and admitted he had stolen a brown leather purse belonging to an adult female victim before attempting to flee. The purse reportedly contained an iPhone, credit cards and about $50 in cash, with a total value of more than $100 but less than $1,500.
A poker event organizer told police the Moose Lodge is a members-only club and that a key card is required to enter the building. The organizer also said there were signs posted stating the club was members-only and that trespassing was not allowed. Police said Messineo admitted entering through an ajar rear door before being stopped by lodge members and told to leave.
According to the account, when Messineo was told to leave, he grabbed the adult female victim’s purse and tried to run from the property before bystanders stopped him in the parking lot. Police said the incident caused a disturbance inside the lodge and forced the poker tournament to stop while the theft was happening.
After Messineo was arrested, police said he continued to admit taking the purse and said he was “an addict” and had “fu##ed up.” During a search, police reported finding a gray bag in his front left pants pocket containing a silver pill bottle with 13 suspected clonazepam pills and one suspected alprazolam pill. Police also reported finding a clear plastic baggie containing suspected crack cocaine and a red sharps container containing suspected crack cocaine.
At his initial appearance on July 3, 2026, Messineo was released on a $2,000 unsecured personal bond. Conditions of release included that he not engage in criminal activity, appear in court when notified and stay away from the Mechanicsville Moose Lodge.
The July arrest is not the only recent case involving Messineo in St. Mary’s County. In January 2026, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office charged him with possession of a controlled dangerous substance other than cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop in Mechanicsville. Deputies said Messineo first gave a fake name before being identified, and that a small blue plastic vial with suspected cocaine residue was found during a search after an arrest warrant was confirmed. The possession charge was later placed on the inactive docket, while Messineo pleaded guilty to the paraphernalia charge on Feb. 26, 2026, according to the case information provided.
Messineo also has two pending theft cases in St. Mary’s County. In one, filed in March 2026, he is accused of theft under $100 from a Dec. 27, 2025, incident. In another, filed June 29, 2026, he is accused of stealing cigarettes from a 7-Eleven on Three Notch Road in Mechanicsville on June 28, 2026. In that June case, a St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office deputy wrote that a store employee reported two men entered the business, walked around, then asked for a carton of Newport 100s. The deputy said surveillance footage showed Messineo reaching over the counter, grabbing about five boxes of cigarettes valued at roughly $78.10 and leaving without paying.
