Cecil County Deputy Pleads Guilty to Database Misuse

On Oct. 22, former Cecil County Deputy Dontae D. Odom pleaded guilty to four counts of misconduct in office and three counts of unauthorized computer access after repeatedly using official logins to search the METERS and NCIC databases for information on seven people, including his wife, romantic partners, relatives of partners, a hotel employee and a woman who worked in his office building. Court records say the searches occurred between roughly 2019/2021 and 2025 and had no legitimate law‑enforcement purpose; prosecutors say the misuse continued after Odom was placed under investigation and that he violated a December 2024 no‑contact order by meeting with one victim in March 2025 and secretly recording the conversation. Odom resigned shortly before charges were filed and is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 19, 2025. Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III said the conduct violated public trust and reiterated his office’s commitment to prosecuting officers who misuse their power. Separately, in Lee County, former deputy Tyrese Jackson, 38, pleaded no contest Oct. 22 to scheme to defraud and official misconduct and was sentenced to 180 days in jail, two years of community control, three years of probation and the surrender of his law‑enforcement certifications after body‑camera footage and an internal review showed him targeting Hispanic motorists and removing cash during traffic encounters.