Former Maryland sheriff's deputy accused of illegally searching wife, romantic partners on law enforcement databases
A former Cecil County Sheriff's deputy is facing charges after state prosecutors say he repeatedly misused law enforcement databases to search for personal information about his wife, romantic partners, coworkers and others over the course of more than a year.
Deputy Dontae Odom, 35, was charged Wednesday with 28 counts of misconduct in office, 16 counts of unauthorized access to a computer, and one count of unlawful interception of communications, according to the Maryland State Prosecutor's Office.
Odom had worked for the Cecil County Sheriff's Office since July 2016. He resigned on Aug. 15, and had been on administrative duty status since February due to the ongoing investigation, the sheriff's office told WJZ.
Allegedly snooped on wife, romantic partners
According to charging documents, the alleged misconduct began in early 2024 and continued through March 2025. Prosecutors say Odom used confidential systems, including the Maryland Dashboard and the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), to access details about seven people who were not under investigation.
Prosecutors said that the databases contain confidential information, and that users are told they can not use them to search information associated with family, friends, or for other personal use.
The people targeted included Odom's wife, two romantic partners, a relative of one of those partners, a hotel employee and two women who worked in the same building as the sheriff's office, according to prosecutors.
Details of alleged searches
The earliest alleged search occurred on Feb. 6, 2024, when Odom is accused of accessing the record of a family member of one of his romantic partners. Over the months that followed, investigators say he continued looking up others close to him, including repeated searches of his wife.
By mid-year, prosecutors say Odom had expanded his use of the database to include a coworker whose phone number he searched on July 6, 2024.
Two months later, on Sept. 15, 2024, he allegedly ran multiple searches tied to a man married to one of his romantic partners.
That same week, prosecutors say text messages show that Odom told the woman he wouldn't use law enforcement systems to look her up, calling it "stalking" and noting that "everything is tracked." Two days later, prosecutors say, he did it anyway.
On Nov. 16, 2024, while off duty and staying at a hotel in Ocean City with a woman, Odom allegedly ran a license plate search connected to a hotel employee. Officials said there was no lawful purpose for the search.
No-contact order issued
One of the most serious allegations involves a woman identified in court records as Victim 4. She worked in the same building as the sheriff's office and was romantically involved with Odom during part of 2024.
After an internal complaint was filed, the department issued a no-contact order on Dec. 12, 2024, barring Odom from communicating with her during the investigation.
Despite that order, prosecutors say Odom resumed communication in early March 2025 and arranged to meet with her in person. The two met in a secluded area, and during the conversation, Victim 4 allegedly asked if Odom was recording. He told her he wasn't. In fact, prosecutors say, he was recording her without her knowledge — a violation of Maryland's two-party consent law and the basis for the felony charge of unlawful interception of communications.
Cecil County Sheriff's Office responds
Cecil County Sheriff Scott Adams issued a statement in response to the charges.
"We would like to thank the State Prosecutor's Office for their assistance in this investigation. We received the initial complaint and, upon review, decided that in the spirit of transparency, that an independent investigation would be best served in this case." Adams said.
Odom is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 7 at 8:30 a.m. in Cecil County Circuit Court.