Del. Ted Sophocleus of Anne Arundel County dies

Del. Ted Sophocleus, one of the longest-serving public officials in Anne Arundel County history, died Friday while hospitalized in Baltimore. The Democratic delegate from Linthicum was running for another term in a crowded District 32 primary election. He went through surgery earlier this year after a neck injury and took a brief leave of absence during the 2018 General Assembly session. He returned to applause from his delegate colleagues. He is survived by his wife, Alice, who worked closely with him during his more than two- decade-long political career,their children and grandchildren. A pharmacist by training, Sophocleus was elected to the County Council in 1982 and served two terms. He was appointed to a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates in 1993, named by then Gov. William Schaefer for two years following the death of another delegate. He was elected to his own seat in 1998. He was a retired pharmacist and later worked as an administrator in the Anne Arundel County state’s attorney office. Glen Burnie. The March 2 indictment is linked to a conversation between the two that police said was about Klaes buying heroin and marijuana the day before his death. In charging documents, police wrote that they responded to Klaes’ home in Glen Burnie on Jan. 19 at 7:54 p.m. for a report of a cardiac arrest. Officers and county Fire Department paramedics found Klaes unresponsive. He was declared dead at 8:03 p.m. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Klaes died from a fentanyl overdose. A text message conversation described in charging documents as between Klaes and “baker,” who police say witnesses identified as Jason Baker, shows the two discussing the purchase of “pills” and marijuana. Police wrote that “pills” is sometimes used as slang for vials of heroin.