Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in Connection With Assaulting Federal Law Enforcement Officer

Baltimore, Maryland - A Baltimore man entered a guilty plea in federal court, today, stemming from an incident in which he assaulted a law enforcement officer while resisting arrest.

Demetris White, 44, pled guilty to a superseding information charging him with assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers or employees.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Regional Director Jose Ortiz-Diaz, U.S. Federal Protective Service (FPS), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Office, and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Boston- New York- Philadelphia Field Division.

According to his guilty plea, on May 19, 2025, White entered a Baltimore Social Security Administration (SSA) field office to inquire about his SSA disability benefit payments. Some SSA-benefit recipients access their monthly benefit payments via a Direct Express Debit Mastercard. At the time, White was unable to access his benefit payments because he lost his debit card.

During his visit, White became upset when an SSA customer-service representative attempted to explain the process to receive a new debit card. He began berating the customer service representative who then pressed a duress button to notify security.

Security personnel responded and asked White to leave the building. Then White berated and threatened to physically assault and spit on security personnel before eventually leaving the building. But due to White's threats, a federal law enforcement officer responded to the scene.

The law enforcement officer found White outside of the building, approached him, and attempted to place him under arrest. But White was still irate and physically resisted the law enforcement officer's attempt to arrest him. In response, the law enforcement officer pointed a taser at White and warned him that he would tase him if he continued resisting.

White then allowed the law enforcement officer to place him in handcuffs. After the law enforcement officer, who was standing behind White, handcuffed him, White forcibly backwards headbutted the officer, causing a laceration to his lip, resulting in bleeding and swelling.

White is facing up to eight years in federal prison for assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended FPS and SSA-OIG for their work in the investigation, along with the Baltimore Police Department, for its valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who is prosecuting the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.

# # #