Baltimore Correctional Officer Dewaun Gough Indicted for Alleged Juvenile Assault
Correctional Officer Dewaun Gough was indicted by the Baltimore City State’s Attorney on charges including second-degree assault and falsifying a report tied to an alleged March 2025 incident at the Juvenile Justice Center.
The Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City announced the indictment of Correctional Officer Dewaun Gough on February 17, 2026, charging him with Second-Degree Assault, Misconduct in Office, and False Entry Into Public Documents in connection with an alleged assault of a juvenile detained at the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center, 300 N. Gay Street. The office’s press release assigned prosecution to Chief Steven Trostle of the Public Trust & Police Integrity Unit.
The indictment, as described by the Office of the State’s Attorney, alleges that the assault occurred in March 2025 and that Gough “willfully made a false entry in a public record by writing and submitting a false report regarding the alleged assault.” The formal charge label for the documentation count is False Entry Into Public Documents; news outlets and the press release use related phrasings including “writing and submitting a false report” and “submitting a false statement.”
If convicted on all counts, the press release states that Gough faces a maximum sentence of 13 years of incarceration, while explicitly noting that “there is no maximum penalty for Misconduct.” The office named Chief Steven Trostle to prosecute the case and thanked the Maryland State Police and the Department of Juvenile Services for their cooperation in the investigation.
State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates framed the indictment as an accountability measure in the press release, saying: “These charges allege a serious breach of trust by an individual who was responsible for the care and safety of a young person in custody. Juveniles housed at our Juvenile Justice Center are among the most vulnerable and at-risk members of our community. They deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, and humanity at all times.” Bates added, “Our office will always act to ensure accountability when those entrusted with authority are accused of abusing it. I commend Chief Trostle for taking swift and decisive action. I also want to thank the Maryland State Police and Department of Juvenile Services for their cooperation with this investigation.”
The press release reiterated the legal standard that governs indictments: “An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at trial.” The Office of the State’s Attorney listed contact information for follow-up: 120 East Baltimore Street, 9th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; phone 443-984-6000; email mail@stattorney.org.
There is a discrepancy in reporting about the precise date of the alleged March 2025 incident: the Office’s indictment text cites March 14, 2025, while some local reports have referenced March 15, 2025. Reporters and court observers should consult the full indictment or Baltimore City court records to confirm the exact date, the statutory citations for each count, and any arraignment or docket information. The Department of Juvenile Services and Maryland State Police were thanked by the State’s Attorney for cooperating; neither agency’s separate statement nor any defense comment from Gough or counsel has been published in the Office’s release.
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