Sudlersville Town Commissioner Charged Following County Audit of Water and Sewer Operations
Following an audit conducted as part of Queen Anne’s County’s acquisition of the Town of Sudlersville’s water and sewer system, a Sudlersville Town Commissioner has been charged with multiple offenses related to an alleged theft scheme.
After a full investigation by the Queen Anne’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, Jonathan Keith Griffith, a Sudlersville Town Commissioner and former President of the Town Commission, has been charged with several theft-related offenses, including 3 counts of a theft scheme over $100,000, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years and a $25,000 fine. He is also charged with 2 counts of theft scheme $25,000 to under, this carries a maximum sentence of 10 years and a fine of $15,000. The last charge is 1 count of misconduct in office (malfeasance), a common law offense for which sentencing is determined at the discretion of the court.
The investigation determined that more than $300,000 of town funds were withdrawn by Griffith between November 2022 and August 2025.
Queen Anne’s County Sanitary District initially assumed operation of the Town of Sudlersville’s water and sewer system on a contractual basis in March 2021. In June 2025, the County entered into an agreement with the Town of Sudlersville to acquire ownership, operations, and financial responsibility for the Town’s water and sewer assets. While the County provided operational services beginning in 2021, it did not assume financial responsibility or oversight of the Town’s water and sewer accounts until ownership was transferred in 2025.
As part of this acquisition process, the County conducted an audit of the Town’s water and sewer finances. During the audit, the County identified suspicious banking activity and referred the information to the Queen Anne’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, which conducted a full investigation.
Griffith has served as a commissioner for the Town of Sudlersville since 2020 and was also an employee of the Queen Anne’s County Sanitary District since 2022. During his time with the Sanitary District, he did not have any responsibilities with the Town of Sudlersville water and sewer system. He is currently on unpaid administrative leave from the County pending the outcome of this matter.
At this time, Griffith is being held without bail at the Queen Anne’s County Detention Center.
Due to the ongoing nature of this case, no further comments will be provided by Queen Anne’s County, the State’s Attorney’s Office, or the Town of Sudlersville until the matter is resolved in court.