WILMINGTON, DE — A traffic violation led to the arrest of three men on gun and drug charges in Wilmington, Delaware, late last month.
On February 23, at around 10:00 p.m., members of the Safe Streets Task Force were patrolling the 1900 block of Lancaster Avenue when they reportedly observed a vehicle committing a traffic violation. The officers conducted a stop and made contact with the occupants of the vehicle – 23-year-old Malek Waters, 19-year-old Yimier Sharpe, and 19-year-old Arkye Matthews.
Following a brief investigation, police recovered a loaded 9mm handgun and 6.7 grams of marijuana. Waters, Sharpe, and Matthews were all taken into custody without incident.
Waters faces several charges, including possession of a firearm by a person prohibited, carrying a concealed deadly weapon, and possession of marijuana, in addition to traffic violations. He was arraigned in the New Castle County Court of Common Pleas and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on $30,100 cash-only bail.
Sharpe has been charged with similar offenses: possession of a firearm by a person prohibited, carrying a concealed deadly weapon, and possession of marijuana. He was arraigned in the same court and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on $15,100 cash-only bail.
Matthews also faces multiple charges, including three counts of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a person prohibited, carrying a concealed deadly weapon, and possession of marijuana. He too was arraigned in the New Castle County Court of Common Pleas and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on $60,100 cash-only bail.
As the case develops, remember that all information is subject to change as more details emerge. An arrest, a criminal complaint, or information about a suspect does not constitute a declaration of guilt. Every individual accused of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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