CORRECTION: Because of an error in the Maryland Judiciary Case Search and Record Portal, an earlier version of this story incorrectly listed the charges in the first criminal case against Joseph Tolbert III. The incorrect charges have been removed from this story.
A judge sentenced Joseph Tolbert III to 20 years in prison at age 17 in connection with a drive-by shooting, and the FBI later arrested him at age 35 and charged him with drug trafficking.
Fifteen years after that last arrest, Tolbert is running for Maryland’s General Assembly Democratic primary in Prince George’s County’s District 25, including District Heights, Suitland, Forestville, Largo, and Upper Marlboro. Capital News Service found Tolbert’s criminal record in its search of the court records of all 235 General Assembly candidates with competitive primaries on June 23.
If elected, Tolbert plans on introducing legislation to remove barriers that hamper the incarcerated from successfully returning to society. His plan stresses creating pathways to employment, including training, as well as fair hiring practices aimed at giving former prisoners a chance upon reentering society, with a special focus on working for government agencies.
“It became crystal clear to me that most of us, if we are given the opportunity to provide for our families, live in a decent neighborhood, make the money to take care of our families, we would rather do this than be in the streets,” said Tolbert, 50.
That’s exactly what happened with Tolbert. After his arrest by the FBI, “that’s when it clicked,” he said.
“I don’t want to do this,” Tolbert recalled thinking to himself. “At that point in time I was like, I’m taking every class in this prison. I don’t care what it is, because I need to prepare myself [for] when I go back out.”
In prison a second time, Tolbert took a paralegal class and a correspondence class that, he said, helped him realize that legislators have the responsibility of creating laws.
“Well, if I was to run for office, [and] really make some changes, I need to be a legislator,” Tolbert said.
Decades ago, though, Tolbert himself took part in what he calls “the street life.”
On April 27, 1993, Tolbert was less than three months from turning 18. He and a friend were “into the streets, like hustling, selling drugs,” he said.
When the two were on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway between Route 450 and Route 50, Tolbert was in the passenger seat, and he and the occupants in the car next to him began arguing. Tolbert knew the driver and said one of the passengers in the other vehicle acted as though they had a firearm.
Lewis M. Harrison, a passenger in the other vehicle, told Park Police that as he was driving south on Baltimore-Washington Parkway, a gold Chrysler LeBaron convertible passed his vehicle on the left. Harrison told police that he saw Tolbert lean out of the front passenger window and fire multiple shots from a handgun.
According to the court records, Harrison exited the Parkway at Route 50, went home and called the police.
Police booked Tolbert six days later, and a grand jury indicted him on 10 counts. A jury found Tolbert guilty and a judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison.
Since he was under 21, the state required Tolbert to go to school and get his high school equivalency diploma while imprisoned.
“Once I got my GED, everything had opened up,” Tolbert said. “I began the quest of education…and fighting to get myself out.”
Tolbert said after the courts released him in 2005 and was about 30 years old, he struggled to find work and get assistance.
Six years later, the FBI arrested Tolbert along with seven others on federal charges related to cocaine trafficking.
This time, Tolbert pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
A judge sentenced Tolbert to five years in federal prison in January 2012.
After his release from federal prison in 2015, Tolbert graduated from D.C. Central Kitchen’s Culinary Job Training Program and began working for Hilton. While at Hilton, Tolbert worked his way up into management positions for events and conventions.
Tolbert decided to run for the House of Delegates this year, and for a reason.
“I feel like we’re headed in the wrong direction, and so I want to be a part of the process of putting this back on what I consider to be the right track,” he said, adding that he was “tired of complaining on Facebook.”
In response to a questionnaire sent to all General Assembly primary candidates, Tolbert offered a more complete take on why he’s running.
“Our community deserves a strong and independent voice who puts people before politics,” he wrote. “Too often, decisions are made without real input from those most affected such as working families, small business owners and young people building their futures here. I want to bring common sense solutions to challenges like affordable housing, quality education and access to good jobs.”
One of Tolbert’s biggest issues is public safety.
“I feel like we’re not holding individuals accountable, and that doesn’t make it safe for residents,” Tolbert said. “I don’t think we can thrive as a community if we’re not feeling safe and we’re not being protected.”
Tolbert supports mandatory sentences for protective order violations and wants a first violation to carry a mandatory two-year sentence and a second violation result in a mandatory five-year sentence, according to his campaign site.
Former District 25 delegate Angela Angel is one of seven candidates running against Tolbert for three open seats in the House of Delegates.
When she was a part of the House from 2015 to 2019, Angel said she worked with Tolbert on some issues and supported him.
“We’ve had people in the House that have a criminal history, it’s not unheard of,” Angel said. “I think all of us that walk into the race and that are running, come with a story to tell with the background with something that fuels us – and I think that’s admirable.”
Angel said Tolbert’s work in reentry suggests he understands that not all accusations are proven, but she is not a fan of how he speaks on it.
“Some of his language has been very inflammatory, and especially knowing how he speaks about reentry, I have to admit, has been a bit surprising to me,” said Angel, who did not return requests for further comment to detail those inflammatory comments.
Candidate Anthony Tilghman declined to comment, and District 25 candidates Denise Roberts, Kent Roberson, and Karen Toles did not respond to requests for comment. Antoine M. Thompson is also running for one of the three Democratic slots in District 25.
For his part, Tolbert stressed that there’s work to be done in Annapolis to help ex-offenders like the one he was decades ago.
“Why aren’t we making a pathway?” Tolbert said. “I know that a pathway will pull some people out of that street life, and can present a better lifestyle for their family. So I want to push hard for us to accept more returning citizens into the governmental workforce.”