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Wednesday, December 20, 2017

OCPD Undercover Operation Results in Numerous Drug Arrests

OCEAN CITY, MD: The Ocean City Police Department’s Narcotics Unit, with the assistance of the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team (CET) and the Ocean City Police Special Enforcement Unit (SEU), has concluded a three month undercover operation that resulted in multiple arrests.  With the help of the OCPD Quick Response Team, undercover detectives began making arrests and serving Search and Seizure Warrants on December 13, 2017.  A total of 21 suspects were arrested or charged based on the investigation and various drugs were siezed.
The proactive investigation began in September as an attempt to curb thefts, burglaries and car break-ins in the downtown area by targeting street level drug distribution.  During the course of the investigation, undercover officers arranged to buy heroin and cocaine on mulitple occasions from Sherif Talib, (age), of Baltimore, Maryland. 
On December 1, detectives arranged to meet Talib in West Ocean City to purchase several ounces of heroin.  As officers moved in to arrest Talib, he immediately struck a Maryland State Police vehicle with his car and then fled in his vehicle towards Ocean City.  During the brief pursuit of Talib, he threw a plastic bag with powder out the passenger window and it burst against the chain link fence. 
Tablib entered Ocean City traveling the wrong way on to Northbound Philadelphia Avenue, where he crashed into the median and struck the wooden median barriers.  He was apprehended and charged with first degree assault (two counts), assault on law enfocement (two counts), distribution of heroin, distribution of cocaine and possesion with intend to distribute heroin and cocaine, along with several additional charges. 
It is estimated that the total street value of the drugs that Talib delivered with the intent to be sold in Ocean City and Worcester County was approximately $82,290. This would have been enough heroin to put over 2700 capsules of heroin on the streets in Worcester County and Ocean City.
 
The following arrests were also made as a result of the undercover investigation:
 
Leon Alfonso Johnson, 39, of Salisbury: Detectives learned that Johnson was supplying cocaine to people in Ocean City and after building a rapport with Johnson, they made numerous undercover purchases.  Johnson was charged with distribution of crack cocaine, distribution of powder cocaine, distribution of oxycodone and several additional charges.
 
Michael Lee Sellers, 39, of Salisbury: Undercover detectives met Sellers during the course of this investigation. An undercover detective was able to purchase heroin, crack cocaine and powder cocaine from Sellers. Sellers is currently in jail in Somerset County and his case will be presented before a Grand Jury with expectations of being charged with distribution of heroin, distribution of cocaine, distribution of crack cocaine and several additional charges.
 
Violitus Scott, 37, of Salisbury & Cherice Johnson, 37, of Salisbury: Undercover detectives met Scott during the course of this investigation. Undercover detectives made crack cocaine purchases from Scott. During the investigation Scott sent Cherice Johnson to do deals on his behalf with the undercover detective. An undercover detective made crack cocaine purchases from her also.  On December 13th, undercover detectives arranged to meet Scott to buy crack cocaine from him. When Scott arrived detectives from OCPD Narcotics, OCPD SEU and the Worcester County CET moved in and arrested Scott. Cherice Johnson was driving the vehicle that Scott arrived in and she was arrested on her charges as well.
Scott is being charged with distribution of crack cocaine, possession of crack cocaine and conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. Johnson is being charged with distribution of crack cocaine, possession of crack cocaine and conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.
 
Samuel Alexander Bermudez, 24, of Ocean City: OCPD Narcotics detectives met Bermudez while working undercover. An undercover detective made several purchases of Alprazolam from Bermudez. Bermudez was also supplying several other people in Ocean City with prescription pills that they were then selling on the streets of Ocean City. On December 13, OCPD detectives, the OCPD Quick Response Team, and Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team members served a search and seizure warrant at Bermudez’s residence and arrested Bermudez. Bermudez is charged with distribution of Alprazolam, possession of Alprazolam and possession of Hydromorphone.
 
Joseph Lawrence Weber Jr., 53, of Ocean City: Distribution of Heroin.
 
Troy David Teutsch., 35, of Ocean City: Distribution of Alprazolam (Xanax) and Distribution of Marijuana.
 
Brendan Shay Burgey, 24, of Ocean City: Distribution of Alprazolam (Xanax) and Distribution of Marijuana.
 
Joseph Othaniel Deshields, 54, of Berlin: Distribution of Crack Cocaine.
 
Michael David Austin, 32, of Ocean City: Distribution of Alprazolam (Xanax) and Distribution of Buprenorphine (Suboxone).
 
Caitlin Bryanna Cottrell, 27, of Ocean City: Distribution of Cocaine.
 
Avery Madison Listmann, 18, of Ocean City: Distribution of Marijuana.
 
Joshua Kala-Jeffery Dubose, 21, of Ocean City: Distribution of Marijuana.
 
Robert Lee Donaldson, 61, of Ocean City: Distribution of Crack Cocaine.
 
Brian Michael Toth, 44, Ocean City: Distribution of Marijuana.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

When will they start intercepting the cargo containers full at Baltimore and Norfolk harbors? All harbors on the coast need to be stopping the import of all the garbage BEFORE it gets to the street.

That'd the only way to stop the drugs and starve out the dealers.

Oh, wait, it's the CIA and FBI doing the importing, I forgot my place.

Anonymous said...

Wish spd could do this but dummy retaliatory Duncan is too big a dummy with her top three a$$ sucks Meinschein, Kolb, and Kaiser. They always farm out the police work to allied agencies. Well look at all the robberies and shootings lately. Way to go morons. They already punt the homicides to msp homicide so spd doesn’t have to carry the numbers.

Anonymous said...

how many of you losers know at least one of these?

Anonymous said...

Duncan and Meinschein you suck

Anonymous said...

I gonna need to find a new dopeman. Leon done got busted.

Anonymous said...

So where was our great lil sheriff? The drug dealer, Sharif Talib, bringing in the heavy amounts was from Baltimore. You know he was driving right through Wicomico county. Limelight Lewis is supposed to the the god of profiling drug dealers. SMDH!

Anonymous said...

one way ticket to china or Mexico under 1000. Bye see ya

Anonymous said...

Hollywood is only good when the cameras are rolling!

Anonymous said...

Wow....someone is off their meds. Yikes.

Anonymous said...

I know it's difficult for you, but maybe put a little more effort into NOT being a jackass.

Anonymous said...

They only keep selling it cause people keep buying it. I would like my tax money to stop going twards investigating pot dealers, and focus on actual drugs and violance.

Anonymous said...

No, no, no...Sheriff Lewis did a TV interview on the OC boardwalk on Memorial Day. He was talking about keeping beach goers/tourists safe, because “EVERYONE” has to pass through his county to get to Ocean City.

Sorry, but you cannot have it both ways, jackass.