Berlin Vandals Get Community Service, Must Pay Restitution

(Editor's Note: There was incorrect information included in an earlier post and this is the corrected version. We apologize for the error.)

SNOW HILL — Two local teens each charged with 40 counts of malicious destruction of property after a graffiti spree throughout downtown Berlin in January were placed on probation and fined last week after trials in District Court in Snow Hill, but their biggest punishments will be restitution to the 30-plus victims and hundreds of hours of community service that must be completed within the town of Berlin.

Jordan Denton, 18, of Berlin; and Nicholas Bonser, 18, of Ocean Pines, were each charged with 40 counts including malicious destruction of property and malicious destruction of property scheme, following the spray paint spree in January throughout downtown Berlin. Last week in District Court, each defendant pleaded guilty to 10 counts of malicious destruction and one count each malicious destruction scheme and each was fined $200 and placed on probation for two years. A third suspect, a juvenile, was also charged and was sentenced similarly to the named suspects.

The Berlin Police Department received the first phone call about the widespread vandalism in the Broad Street area downtown around 10 p.m. on Jan. 25 and received additional calls on the following morning. Over 30 vehicles were spray-painted with graffiti including some with racial slurs. Some examples include a white vehicle with red paint slashes down its entire side. The side of one building simply said “cheeseburger.” Another vehicle had “LOL” painted on its driver’s side window. Yet another building was adorned with the message “your mother is a nice lady.”

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