Maryland sentenced for three incidences of ramming truck into occupied vehicles

A Sharpsburg-area man received an active 35-year sentence Friday in Washington County Circuit Court for three instances in which he rammed his truck into an occupied vehicle.

Because 35 years were for two crimes of violence related to a 2022 incident in which James Russell Anderson rammed his truck into two occupied vehicles on a neighboring property, he must serve at least half of that time, 17.5 years, before he can be considered for parole.

Anderson, 48, was sentenced Friday for the March 1, 2022, incident in which he was convicted by a jury in July for second-degree attempted murder for repeatedly ramming his F-350 pickup into a Tesla sedan occupied by real estate agent Cynthia Sullivan.

Judge Andrew F. Wilkinson sentenced Anderson to 30 years, suspending all but 25 years on the attempted murder charge alone.

"There was nothing accidental about what happened on March 1," Wilkinson said. He cited the "brutality of the attack," and that afterward Anderson changed his appearance and reported his truck stolen in attempt to "get away with it."

Wilkinson said the first time he saw pictures of Sullivan's damaged Tesla, he thought Sullivan might only be alive today because of the "engineering quality" of her car.

Her voice shaking, Sullivan told the judge she has a broken neck and lives with neck and back pain.

She told Anderson she forgave him, "because I know God wants me to forgive you."

Sullivan said she won't ever forget that "horrific day." She said she can't sleep through the night and panics and sometimes cries if a pickup comes near her while she's driving.

Addressing the judge, Paul Sullivan said he found it "amazing" that Anderson didn't even look in his wife's direction or his while they addressed the court about the impact the events that March day had on them.

In addition to the physical pain and ongoing emotional distress Cynthia Sullivan has experienced, Paul Sullivan said they are still having issues with insurance because they have not been able to get information about what insurance, if any, Anderson had at the time of the attack.

Anderson, standing with his arms folded in front of him and scratching his right elbow, paused for several seconds before turning toward the Sullivans and apologizing to them for "what happened."

"I cannot undo what's been done," Anderson said. He assured them he would never do "anything like that again" and if he was ever presented with a situation he would contact authorities and wait rather than "take matters into my own hands."

Anderson rammed Sullivan's Tesla five times and hit another woman's Audi after responding to his neighbor's property. His girlfriend and co-defendant, Rebecca Anne Finkelman, and the female neighbor told Anderson on the phone that there were people at the neighbor's home that should not be there and were in the house removing furniture.

Anderson testified at his trial that both women told him they needed help, with Finkelman saying "right away."

Witnesses described Anderson's pickup speeding up the neighbor's lane and smashing Sullivan's Tesla, then repeatedly backing up and hitting the car again.

Finkelman's trial is scheduled for February. She is facing charges that include assault and accessory after the fact.

Anderson's mother spoke at length Friday about the man her son used to be and the change in his personality after a head injury in a 2019 accident.

Defense attorney Brian Hutchison also mentioned the head injury and that Anderson still suffers, including from a mood disorder and post-traumatic stress.

Before sentencing Anderson for the March 2022 crimes, Wilkinson said motions had been filed regarding an "unfair trial" and much had been written about Anderson's mental status not being taken into account.

The judge said Anderson sought a not criminally responsible finding when the case started and he was examined through the Maryland Department of Health, which did one of the "most comprehensive reports I've seen." Wilkinson said the health department determined the not criminally responsible claim was not appropriate and that Anderson's mental health status and prior injury did not prevent Anderson from knowing right from wrong or following the law.

Cynthia Sullivan, after the sentencing hearing, said, "In a situation like that, nobody's going to win. I feel bad for all of us."

Washington County States Attorney Gina Cirincion, after the hearings, said, "We are appreciative of the extremely good work by the sheriff's department and we appreciate the bravery of the witnesses" in the Sullivan case.

Sentencing and plea deal for James Russell Anderson

The jury, in July, also convicted Anderson on several other charges including first-degree assault against Linda Adele West, the owner of the Churchey Road property that Sullivan was there to appraise for sale.

An eviction noticed had been issued for the tenants and the female tenant screamed at West, Sullivan and other visitors while they were at the property, according to trial testimony.

Wilkinson sentenced Anderson to 25 years with all suspended except for 10 years for the assault on West, whose Audi Anderson rammed.

Anderson has 655 days, or almost two years, credit for time served.

The assault sentence is consecutive to the attempted murder sentence.

Wilkinson suspended separate 60-day sentences for two convictions for malicious destruction of property for damage to Sullivan's Tesla and West's Audi.

Before the sentencing, there was a hearing during which Anderson pleaded guilty to second-degree assault for an Oct. 3, 2020, road rage incident in which Anderson's truck twice hit a purple Pontiac GTO after the driver cut into traffic south of Hagerstown. Anderson also punched the driver, Benjamin Lee, in the head, Cirincion said.

In that case, Wilkinson sentenced Anderson to five years, but suspended all but 18 months to be served concurrent to the sentences in the case involving Sullivan and West.

Once Anderson is released from prison, he will be on supervised probation for five years.

He is not to have contact with Sullivan, West, their families, or Lee.

In both sentencings, Wilkinson ordered Anderson to submit and comply with alcohol and drug testing and treatment, to abstain from alcohol and illegal substances, and to submit to an evaluation and complete any mental health treatment his probation agent recommends.

Wilkinson also ordered Anderson to get anger management counseling as directed by his probation agent.

Anderson did not comment to the judge during the sentencing portion of the hearing in the Lee case.

Cirincion said Lee did not attend the plea hearing, but submitted a victim impact statement and asked for Anderson to get anger management counseling and perform community service.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Maryland man sentenced in attempted murder, road-rage incidents