SALISBURY, MD - A Wicomico County Circuit Court jury has found former Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Steven Abreu guilty of 29 counts, including first degree rape, sex offenses and misconduct in office. Abreu was found not guilty of 5 counts including second degree rape and sex offense.
Prosecutors accused Abreu of using his authority as a deputy to sexually assault three women in 2022. At the beginning of the trial this week, Abreu faced 43 charges including fourteen counts of rape and thirteen counts of official misconduct.
By Friday, December 6, following a five-day trial, those charges had been reduced to 36 including one count of first degree rape, five counts second degree rape, one count second degree assault, and twelve counts of misconduct in office.
Abreu took the stand in his own defense Thursday, with his counsel arguing the encounters with the women had all been consensual.
On Friday evening, after more than eight hours of deliberation, the jury ultimately rendered the following verdict:
GUILTY:
1 count of first degree rape
3 counts of second degree rape
2 counts of third degree sex offense
4 counts of fourth degree sex offense
3 counts of law enforcement officer unlawful sexual conduct
4 counts of false imprisonment
12 counts of misconduct in office
NOT GUILTY:
2 counts of second degree rape
2 counts of fourth degree sex offense
1 count of second degree assault
4 of the charges Abreu was found not guilty on relate to sexual encounters with one of the three victims. The jurors determined that Abreu's first sexual encounter with that victim was rape, but his subsequent encounters with her were consensual.
Abreu’s sentencing is not yet scheduled, pending a pre sentencing investigation and mental health evaluation.
On Monday, December 8, Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis issued a statement on Abreu's conviction, calling him a "rogue deputy."
"After attending the trial and listening to the compelling testimony of at least one of the victims, and two of our detectives, I was sick to my stomach," Lewis wrote. "Despite a full pre-employment psychological examination, twenty-six (26) weeks of entry training at the Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy, ten (10) weeks of mandatory field training, and with no prior inclination or indication that would have alerted background investigators or detectives to Abreu's predatory nature, he was released to patrol on his own. A thorough investigation by the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office revealed that within days, Abreu was stalking his victims. I couldn't be any prouder of the swift action taken by command staff personnel, patrol personnel, and by criminal investigators in the arrest of Abreu."
You can read Sheriff Lewis' full statement here.