Sex Offender's Second Mistake: Swiping Package in Police Station

ODENTON, MD — A sex offender waiting in the lobby of the police station in Odenton is in trouble for allegedly swiping a package left there for an employee.

The theft was reported at the Western District Police Station on Dec. 18, a day after the employee contacted the delivery service, which confirmed that the delivery had been made the previous afternoon.

A review of the building’s surveillance system video showed the delivery driver place the package against the police station’s lobby door, which leads to a secure area for authorized personnel only. The delivery driver then left the lobby.

Also captured on the surveillance video is a man wearing a camouflage jacket sitting in the lobby of the police station. The man has been identified as Michael Joseph Leonard, 53, of the 1700 block of Gunwood Place in Crofton, who was seated in the station lobby waiting to be processed in order to renew his sex offender registration.

Surveillance video shows Leonard picking up the package after the delivery driver left the building, with Leonard reportedly walking out of the station with the package. Police say when Leonard returned to the station to be processed as a registered sex offender he wasn’t carrying the package.

Officers found the package at Leonard’s address and returned the missing property to its owner. Leonard was arrested on a warrant for theft on Monday.

Annapolis Police recently shared some reminders on how to ensure you receive your package.

• If possible, have your package delivered to a location where it can be received by a trusted person.
• Ask neighbors who are home during the day to watch for deliveries.
• Request that the shipper holds the package at their facility for pick up.
• Track deliveries online and confirm delivery has occurred.
• Insure valuable items.
• Provide delivery instructions, so packages are left out of sight from the street.
• Watch out for vehicles following delivery vans through neighborhoods. Some thieves will simply shadow deliver drivers and go from house to house stealing newly delivered packages.
• When sending packages take them to a post office or other shipping facility, rather than leaving them outside your home for pick up. Let the person you are sending the package to know to expect the package.

»Photo of Michael Joseph Leonard, courtesy of Anne Arundel County Police