Statement from Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy & Chief George Nader Regarding Review of Latent Fingerprint Casework at the Prince George’s County Police Department
For Immediate Release:
March 5, 2026
OFFICIAL STATEMENT
Statement from Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy & Chief George Nader Regarding Review of Latent Fingerprint Casework at the Prince George’s County Police Department
LARGO, MD — Prince George’s County is committed to transparency, accountability, and the integrity of our criminal justice system. Recently, the Prince George’s County Police Department, in an internal audit, determined the need to further examine the latent fingerprint casework completed by a single examiner within its Forensic Science Division.
The issue was first identified on December 2, 2025, when supervisory staff in the Latent Print Unit raised concerns after reviewing two cases that appeared to have incomplete comparisons and potentially valuable impressions that had not been claimed. As a result of that discovery, the department immediately initiated an internal review of casework across the unit.
That review revealed potential inconsistencies limited to the work of one examiner whose casework spanned approximately 300 cases between June 2021 and May 2025. The case range predates both the County Executive Aisha Braveboy and Chief George Nader Administration.
Following the completion of a comprehensive internal review, the department determined that 134 cases required re-examination due to a difference in expert opinion in the examiner’s work. At this time, the department has no indication that this issue represents a systemic or department-wide failurebut rather appears to be isolated to the work of this individual examiner. Shortly thereafter, the department coordinated with an independent external laboratory to re-examine selected cases, providing an additional layer of objective review. The re-examination determined that there were no erroneous identifications and that all latent evidence was available and provided during the time of discovery.
From the moment the issue was identified, the Prince George’s County Police Department and County leadership acted swiftly to ensure integrity, transparency, and accountability. As part of the department’s commitment to transparency and collaboration within the criminal justice system, the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office was formally notified regarding the findings and the ongoing review of affected cases.
County Executive Aisha Braveboy and Chief George Nader take this matter extremely seriously. Protecting the integrity of forensic evidence and maintaining public confidence in the justice system is essential. At the direction of Chief Nadar, the department has implemented a new policy requiring peer review at all stages of all latent print casework, expanding beyond standard industry practice to strengthen quality assurance procedures and reinforce the reliability of forensic examinations.
The County Executive’s Public Safety leadership team, the Police Department, State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Office of Law are continuing to review the affected cases to determine the full scope of any potential impact. As part of the County’s commitment to transparency and due process, disclosures to defense counsel in pending cases has already begun and will be made in all charged cases in which the forensic latent print examiner conducted fingerprint analysis.
Prince George’s County is committed to working closely with the State’s Attorney’s Office and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that any case requiring further review is handled appropriately and that justice is preserved.
County Executive Braveboy, who previously served as the State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County from January 2019 until June 2025, emphasized the importance of accuracy and accountability in forensic investigations. “Our residents deserve a justice system that is both fair and reliable, and Prince George’s County will continue taking all necessary steps to uphold those standards.”
As additional information becomes available and the independent re-examinations continue, the County will provide updates to the public. For more information from the State’s Attorney’s office, please visit their site.
