Heroin Dealer’s New Trial Bid Denied

OCEAN CITY — A Seaford man, convicted of possession of heroin with intent to distribute and sentenced to 14 years in prison, will not get a shot at a new trial after a state court this week denied his appeal.

On Aug. 7, 2016, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer observed a vehicle, driven by Etoyi Roach, now 43, of Seaford, making an illegal turn and cutting off a resort taxi, forcing the cab to slam on its brakes to avoid a collision. An alert was broadcast and a different OCPD officer stopped Roach’s vehicle a short time later.

During the traffic stop, a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit was summoned to the scene and a scan of the vehicle and its occupants turned up 1,000 bags of heroin along with cocaine. Roach and one of his passengers, Ryan Steck, now 38, of Berlin, were arrested and charged with possession and possession with intent to distribute heroin. A second passenger, Jerry Weston, 37, of Greenwood, Del., was also arrested, but died while in the custody of the OCPD that same day.

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