Maryland State Police Press Release
MORE ARRESTED IN ONGOING HEROIN DISTRIBUTION INVESTIGATION ON THE EASTERN SHORE
MORE ARRESTED IN ONGOING HEROIN DISTRIBUTION INVESTIGATION ON THE EASTERN SHORE
(DENTON, MD) – An additional ten indictments and arrests have resulted from the continuing cooperative cross-jurisdictional and multi-state drug investigation, with more expected as police continue to dismantle a drug trafficking organization they believe was responsible for the distribution of heroin and a variety of other drugs throughout the Upper Shore region.
Between July 23, 2014 and July 25, 2014 the following suspects were arrested on Caroline County Circuit Court indictments:
The first suspect is identified as Byron S. Drummond, 27, of Denton, Md. He was served charging documents on 7/25/2014 and charged with being a drug kingpin, possession of a large amount of a controlled dangerous substance (heroin), possession with intent to distribute narcotics, and two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance not marijuana. Drummond is currently incarcerated on an unrelated drug conviction in the Queen Anne’s County Detention Center. Drummond will be held on no bond pursuant to the indictment.
The second suspect is identified as Joseph C. Dean, 25, of Denton, Md. He was arrested on 7/19/2014 and charged with being in possession of a large amount of a controlled dangerous substance (heroin), conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (heroin), conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (cocaine) and possession of a firearm in connection to a drug trafficking crime. Dean was originally held on $50,000. He was released after posting bail and is awaiting trial.
The third suspect is identified as Taylor E. Gibson, 22, of Denton, Md. She was arrested on 7/19/2014 and charged with being a drug kingpin, conspiracy possession of a large amount of a controlled dangerous substance (heroin), conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (heroin), conspiracy possession with the intent to distribute narcotics (cocaine). Gibson was held without bond in the Caroline County Detention Center.
The fourth suspect is identified as Kentral Carter, 29, of Ridgely, Md. He was arrested on 7/21/2014 and charged with possession of a large amount of a controlled dangerous substance (heroin), conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (heroin), and conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (cocaine). During the arrest of Carter, he was found to be in possession of additional heroin, cocaine, oxycodone hydrochloride pills and marijuana. Carter was originally held on $75,000 pursuant to the indictment and an additional $12,000 for the drugs found on his person during his arrest. Carter was released after posting bail and is awaiting trial.
The fifth suspect is identified as Adam Hutson, 21, of Greensboro, Md. He was arrested on 7/21/2014 and charged with possession of a large amount of a controlled dangerous substance (heroin), conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (heroin), and conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (cocaine). Hutson was held on $60,000 bond and is currently in the Caroline County Detention Center.
The sixth suspect is identified as Jason Bowen, 32, of Greensboro, Md. He was arrested on 7/21/2014 and charged with conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (heroin). Bowen was held on $10,000 and is currently in the Caroline County Detention Center.
The seventh suspect is identified as Lexi Whiteley, 23, of Ridgely, Md. She was arrested on 7/21/2014 and charged with conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (heroin). Whiteley was held on $25,000 and is currently in the Caroline County Detention Center.
The eighth suspect is identified as Charles Outland, 33, of Denton, Md. He was arrested on 7/22/2014 and charged with conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (heroin) and conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (cocaine). Outland was held on $75,000 and is currently in the Caroline County Detention Center.
The ninth suspect is identified as Drew Brelia, 23 of Greensboro, Md. He was arrested on 7/24/2014 and charged with conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (heroin). Brelia was held without bond and is currently in the Caroline County Detention Center.
The tenth suspect is identified as Emily Hill, 20, of Ridgely, Md. She was arrested on 7/24/2014 and charged with conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (heroin). Hill was held without bond and is currently in the Caroline County Detention Center.
“We expect that these arrests will effectively cripple the local heroin trade for a long time, but arresting dealers will only slow the epidemic, not eliminate it,” Caroline County State’s Attorney Jonathan Newell said. “As long as there is a demand, there will eventually be a supply. We hope this investigation will reduce the numbers of new users and interrupt the supply to existing users, and drastically reduce the number of overdoses in this county. But at the same time, the current heroin addicts in our community need to take this opportunity to seek treatment so we don't find ourselves right back in the same position a year from now. All suspects should be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
A number of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies were involved in and provided support to this investigation. They included the Talbot County Narcotics Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Queen Anne’s County Drug Task Force, Dorchester County Drug Task Force, Denton Police Department, Caroline County Sheriff’s Office, Anne Arundel County Police Department, Baltimore Police Department, and Maryland State Police Units including the Centreville Barrack, State Apprehension Team, Gang Enforcement Unit, Special Tactical Assault Team Element, and the Criminal Enforcement Division.
Making the arrests this week, the Caroline County Drug Task Force was assisted by the Maryland State Police, the Maryland State Police Fugitive Apprehension Team, the Maryland State Police Field Operations Bureau, and the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation is continuing. Additional arrests and charges are expected.
Between July 23, 2014 and July 25, 2014 the following suspects were arrested on Caroline County Circuit Court indictments:
The first suspect is identified as Byron S. Drummond, 27, of Denton, Md. He was served charging documents on 7/25/2014 and charged with being a drug kingpin, possession of a large amount of a controlled dangerous substance (heroin), possession with intent to distribute narcotics, and two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance not marijuana. Drummond is currently incarcerated on an unrelated drug conviction in the Queen Anne’s County Detention Center. Drummond will be held on no bond pursuant to the indictment.
The second suspect is identified as Joseph C. Dean, 25, of Denton, Md. He was arrested on 7/19/2014 and charged with being in possession of a large amount of a controlled dangerous substance (heroin), conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (heroin), conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (cocaine) and possession of a firearm in connection to a drug trafficking crime. Dean was originally held on $50,000. He was released after posting bail and is awaiting trial.
The third suspect is identified as Taylor E. Gibson, 22, of Denton, Md. She was arrested on 7/19/2014 and charged with being a drug kingpin, conspiracy possession of a large amount of a controlled dangerous substance (heroin), conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (heroin), conspiracy possession with the intent to distribute narcotics (cocaine). Gibson was held without bond in the Caroline County Detention Center.
The fourth suspect is identified as Kentral Carter, 29, of Ridgely, Md. He was arrested on 7/21/2014 and charged with possession of a large amount of a controlled dangerous substance (heroin), conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (heroin), and conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (cocaine). During the arrest of Carter, he was found to be in possession of additional heroin, cocaine, oxycodone hydrochloride pills and marijuana. Carter was originally held on $75,000 pursuant to the indictment and an additional $12,000 for the drugs found on his person during his arrest. Carter was released after posting bail and is awaiting trial.
The fifth suspect is identified as Adam Hutson, 21, of Greensboro, Md. He was arrested on 7/21/2014 and charged with possession of a large amount of a controlled dangerous substance (heroin), conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (heroin), and conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (cocaine). Hutson was held on $60,000 bond and is currently in the Caroline County Detention Center.
The sixth suspect is identified as Jason Bowen, 32, of Greensboro, Md. He was arrested on 7/21/2014 and charged with conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (heroin). Bowen was held on $10,000 and is currently in the Caroline County Detention Center.
The seventh suspect is identified as Lexi Whiteley, 23, of Ridgely, Md. She was arrested on 7/21/2014 and charged with conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (heroin). Whiteley was held on $25,000 and is currently in the Caroline County Detention Center.
The eighth suspect is identified as Charles Outland, 33, of Denton, Md. He was arrested on 7/22/2014 and charged with conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (heroin) and conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (cocaine). Outland was held on $75,000 and is currently in the Caroline County Detention Center.
The ninth suspect is identified as Drew Brelia, 23 of Greensboro, Md. He was arrested on 7/24/2014 and charged with conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (heroin). Brelia was held without bond and is currently in the Caroline County Detention Center.
The tenth suspect is identified as Emily Hill, 20, of Ridgely, Md. She was arrested on 7/24/2014 and charged with conspiracy possession with intent to distribute narcotics (heroin). Hill was held without bond and is currently in the Caroline County Detention Center.
“We expect that these arrests will effectively cripple the local heroin trade for a long time, but arresting dealers will only slow the epidemic, not eliminate it,” Caroline County State’s Attorney Jonathan Newell said. “As long as there is a demand, there will eventually be a supply. We hope this investigation will reduce the numbers of new users and interrupt the supply to existing users, and drastically reduce the number of overdoses in this county. But at the same time, the current heroin addicts in our community need to take this opportunity to seek treatment so we don't find ourselves right back in the same position a year from now. All suspects should be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
A number of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies were involved in and provided support to this investigation. They included the Talbot County Narcotics Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Queen Anne’s County Drug Task Force, Dorchester County Drug Task Force, Denton Police Department, Caroline County Sheriff’s Office, Anne Arundel County Police Department, Baltimore Police Department, and Maryland State Police Units including the Centreville Barrack, State Apprehension Team, Gang Enforcement Unit, Special Tactical Assault Team Element, and the Criminal Enforcement Division.
Making the arrests this week, the Caroline County Drug Task Force was assisted by the Maryland State Police, the Maryland State Police Fugitive Apprehension Team, the Maryland State Police Field Operations Bureau, and the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation is continuing. Additional arrests and charges are expected.
Why don't all of you go down to the shipping ports and stop the heroin there? That way, you will find out who the real major kingpins are; the U.S. Government. They trade weapons to Afghanistan for it, you know.
ReplyDelete8:09am has a valid point. In the early 1980's many friday afternoons, only after 4pm I would watch a string of late model cars go across a one vehicle at a time bridge from Camden, N.J. on to Petty's Island where large ocean shipping containers on the decks of ships with ramps leading up and into those containers were ready and waiting for cars. The string of cars would appear out of nowhere and never stop at the gate guard house on the island side like I had to in my truck to sign in. Within an hour or so they'd load anywhere from 50 to several hundred cars. I was on the island to pick up petroleum product in my truck for the upcoming monday's delivery. I asked my brother in law, the ???????? County prosecutor (next door to Camden County) if he was aware of this and as well could drugs be moving in and out of Petty's Island freely? He laughed and was close friends with the Camden County prosecutor. Years later the C.C. prosecutor was indicted and replaced. I think I remember he killed himself (not certain). Wild partying with drugs, booze and whores were common place amongst the local prosecutorial/lawyer circles. The corruption that I gradually became aware of was rampant, Everything including murder and plenty of them happened on a regular basis. That news tends to stay local. The eastern shore looks pretty good to me as compared to what I saw on an ongoing basis up there. Entrenched corruption was spread through state wide politics with 10 to $15,000 a plate dinner donations to both political parties. It's called hedging your bets and I watched it pay off to the tune of millions. Some of it got late night delivers in large paper bags of cash. Can't talk about that, I was just a small nobody doing my 7-5 job and even today 30 years later, to loose lips could still sink a nobodies like myself's ship. The big dogs used to call themselves syndicates and consortiums (they own some of the biggest malls, large businesses and politicians, don't be fooled, they're deadly and the names you might find on ownership documents are just that, names. They mean nothing, the real owners are not visible to anyone.. The dope will never be stopped until the chance of death each time gets higher for the user. I've already seen recent change in life long dopers, the possibility of death scares them, which helps those of us who hate drugs.
DeleteA woman I had known years ago was found dead about 2 weeks ago in Moss Hill Apartments from a possible Heroin overdose and I think she was in her 50's so it affects all people of all ages.
ReplyDeleteOne of the quickest ways to stop the dealing of this sort is to charge them with murder when someone dies of an overdose that they sold.
10:28 I'd rather they use all that ammo they've stocked up, and stop arresting these clowns. They're getting good prices on ammo... so cheap, and effective.
ReplyDeleteSounds like south FL during the cocaine days 9:23.
ReplyDeleteYou can't bribe a cop, prosecutor, etc with a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars but when you hand them a paper bag with 100 grand in it, all morals they thought they had tend to leave.
A lot of the heroin seen around here and in this country is coming from Mexico and Columbia. It's in a black tar, brown powder form and is more popular in the rural and suburban areas. It's highly potent. Mexican dealers have perfected so to speak the processing of the poppies and the higher potency allows for the drug to be smoked and snorted to get high. It can be deadly when injected due to it's ultra potency.
ReplyDeleteSo, why are we limiting our busts to local small timers? Our efforts should be at import points, as I have pointed out. Much less manpower, much more results.
ReplyDeleteBut, no. We sensationalize the local busts as "winning the War on Drugs"
Idiocy at its best.
These mostly barely adults are "kingpins"? Give me a break.
ReplyDelete