Maryland suspends home detention agency's license after teen charged with murder in double shooting

CBS News

2 days ago

Maryland has revoked the operational license of a home detention monitoring company that officials say failed to notify authorities about violations, leading to a lapse in public safety, according to a letter from the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
According to a letter from Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Carolyn J. Scruggs, the state has ordered Advantage Sentencing Alternative Programs, Inc. (ASAP) to return its license to the Maryland Commission on Correctional Standards, cease monitoring Marylanders, and provide personal information for those under its supervision.
The letter says that ASAP has 30 days to submit a written request for a hearing challenging the actions proposed Tuesday.
Teen charged in deadly double shooting near Columbia Mall
The suspension comes after the arrest of 18-year-old Emmetson Zeah, who was charged with first-degree murder in a shooting that killed two teens, a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old.
The shooting happened outside the Columbia Mall on Feb. 22.
Zeah was denied bail, and Howard County District Court Judge Allison Sayers said there was clear evidence that he was a danger to the public.
Prior to the deadly shooting, Zeah was out on bail for attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault charges related to a home invasion and attempted stabbing case from November 2024, according to court documents.
What is ASAP Inc. accused of?
The letter accuses ASAP of failing to notify the state about Zeah's violations in a timely manner, jeopardizing public safety.
According to Maryland law, home detention monitoring agencies must notify the Division of Parole and Probation of any violations by offenders, with a $1,000 fine for the first day the agency does not provide notice, and $250 for each subsequent day.
ASAP was ordered to pay $1,000 for not alerting officials about Zeah on Feb. 13, and $250 for each of the six days after that, according to the letter.
A total of 232 individuals were under supervision with ASAP's ankle monitors, and 883 were on private home detention monitoring at the end of April, a spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services said.