Charges Pending in Art Modell Graveside Urination Case: Officials

The Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office reported Monday that it has authorized charges after a Cleveland Browns fan allegedly urinated on Art Modell’s grave site.

Police have identified the suspect seen in a video urinating on the former Baltimore Ravens owner’s grave site at the Druid Ridge Cemetery in Pikesville, the state’s attorney’s office reported. He may be charged with a misdemeanor.

According to Maryland law, “a person may not engage in indecent or disorderly conduct in a cemetery,” or a maximum sentence of two years in jail and a fine of $500 may be imposed, the state’s attorney’s office reported.

“I want to commend the Baltimore County Police Department for doing outstanding work in identifying the suspect involved in this case,” Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger said.

“Everyone who has buried a loved one has the right to believe that their final resting place will be treated with respect,” Shellenberger continued. “Bringing charges against this individual should act as a deterrent to others and assure the rest of us that no matter who you are, indecencies will not be committed against your final resting place.”

Modell, who passed in 2012, owned the Cleveland Browns from 1961 to the mid 1990s, when he relocated his team to Baltimore and renamed it the Ravens in 1996, according to WJLA.

The man who used a catheter to urinate on Modell’s grave said: “I had no choice,” in the recording of the act, echoing words Modell used when he decided to move the Browns from Cleveland to Baltimore in the 1990s.

According to CBS Cleveland, Modell’s decision to move the team continues to cause hard feelings, after the Browns have made the playoffs one time since the change and the Ravens have won the Super Bowl twice.

The state’s attorney’s office noted that charges have not been filed or served, and so the suspect is not being publicly identified.

Related: Cleveland Browns Fan Pees on Art Modell’s Grave, Police Investigate