Sharpsburg-area woman pleads to accessory after the fact in assault on real estate agent

A Washington County woman received a 10-year suspended sentence Tuesday after pleading guilty to two charges related to her involvement in the March 1, 2022, assault on a local real estate agent and a local property owner.

Rebecca Anne Finkelman pleaded guilty in Washington County Circuit Court to a felony charge of accessory after the fact to a first-degree assault on real estate agent Cynthia Sullivan and a misdemeanor count of second-degree assault against Linda Adele West.

The charges are related to actions by Finkelman's boyfriend at the time, James Russell Anderson. Anderson received an active 35-year sentence in October for crimes of violence related to the 2022 incident where he rammed his truck into two occupied vehicles on a neighboring property in the Sharpsburg area.

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State's Attorney Gina Cirincion told Judge Brett R. Wilson that a Washington County Sheriff's deputy responded to a Churchey Road property around 2 p.m. on March 1, 2022, for a report of a disturbance and found a number of disabled vehicles.

Two people had called 911, including Finkelman, whom Cirincion said lied and told the 911 call taker that people had shown up at the property armed. Finkelman also told 911 that she didn't know why the people were there and that she felt threatened.

Cirincion said that was not true — that West, a partial owner of the property, had shown up to retrieve belongings and that Sullivan was there to appraise the property.

In addition to making a false 911 report, Cirincion said Finkelman aided Anderson in leaving the property after his criminal acts.

After Anderson rammed Sullivan's Tesla, with Sullivan in it, he rammed the Audi that West was inside, Cirincion said. When he backed his F-350 pickup truck up, it got stuck in the mud.

Finkelman got her sport utility vehicle and got Anderson inside it, covering him as they tried to leave the property, according to Cirincion and court documents.

West and her boyfriend had moved her car to try to block the property exit, Cirincion said.

Finkelman hit the car numerous times to move it out of the way, Cirincion said. When she was successful, Finkelman took Anderson to the property across the street.

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Why did Rebecca Finkelman get a plea deal?

Other charges against Finkelman were dropped as part of the plea deal. Those included felony first-degree assault.

Cirincion told the judge the victims were not in the courtroom for the plea hearing Tuesday afternoon, but that they would have expressed displeasure at the suspended sentence the state was recommending as part of the plea deal.

They believe Finkelman's actions brought Anderson to the property, Cirincion said.

The state could not place Finkelman's phone at the scene and "we don't know who actually called Anderson to the scene," Cirincion said.

Finkelman did not live at the property where the events occurred, but was there visiting a baby, defense attorney David Harbin told the judge.

Wilson asked Cirincion if she was satisfied with Finkelman's medical condition since it's one of the reasons for the plea deal.

Cirincion said she was and also said that Finkelman didn't have a criminal record before these incidents on March 1, 2022. Cirincion said she thought Finkelman's physical condition would make incarceration difficult for her and the institution.

"Very difficult and expensive for the institution," Wilson said.

Finkelman, 54, sat in a wheelchair during the hearing.

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Finkelman addresses court, apologizes

Given the opportunity to make a statement, Finkelman told Wilson she was in a vehicle accident in which the driver had a seizure and the vehicle hit the guardrail head-on at 65 mph.

She said her seat broke and she went into the windshield with her head. The airbags deployed.

Finkelman said the experience made her think about Sullivan being in her car and this big truck coming at her.

"I felt how scared she was that day and I broke down," Finkelman said.

Her own accident caused her to do a 180 from not understanding what was going on that March 2022 day to completely understanding, Finkelman said.

"I made a lot of mistakes that day," Finkelman said. "I'll never undo what was done to her."

"I deeply apologize," Finkelman said.

A letter from Finkelman's father, who was not in the courtroom, was read by a woman in the gallery.

Finkelman's father wrote about how his daughter was someone who helped others, But that his daughter had personal challenges with health issues affecting her outlook and she became involved with a man who negatively affected her outlook and behavior.

The father wrote that he thinks Finkelman's separation from the incarcerated man will help put her on the right track.

Harbin said Finkelman had spent the better part of her life helping people. That she was a firefighter and emergency medical technician.

"All hell did break loose and Rebecca certainly should have made some better decisions," Harbin said.

Wilson told Finkelman there's a big difference between what happened to her and what happened to Sullivan in that Finkelman was in an accident while Sullivan's car was "battered time and time again."

Anderson's actions were as "malicious and severe as anything I've seen," Wilson said.

About Finkelman's actions, Wilson said that even if she didn't intend to injure anyone when she was ramming another vehicle, there were people in that vehicle.

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Judge sentences Rebecca Finkelman

Given what the state can and cannot prove, Wilson said he thinks the outcome is appropriate.

He sentenced Finkelman to concurrent 10-year periods on the two counts, suspending those sentences.

Wilson fined Finkelman $615 for the assault conviction. With court costs, she has $1,000 to pay.

There also is the issue of restitution, though Cirincion said she did not have the required information yet from one of the victims.

Wilson said the issue of restitution will be left open for 30 days.

He put Finkelman on probation for three years that will, initially, be supervised.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Co-defendant pleads in case tied to assault on real estate agent