11 people in total are arrested.
Frederick, Md (KM) A drug trafficking organization operating in Frederick has been taken down. Police say 11 individuals were arrested and more than 250 grams of powdered cocaine, 40 grams of heroin were confiscated, along with $22,000 in cash and three vehicles.
Lieutenant Clark Pennington says efforts to shut down this organization began in September, 2015. “During the course of that investigation, we were able to identify and make arrests of 11 individuals who were either selling, using or otherwise distributing CDS in the city of Frederick,” he says. CDS stands for controlled dangerous substance.
Six of those arrested and indicated by the Grand Jury are:
Alston, Anthony Saint Tonio, 48 is charged with:
Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine (2 counts)
Importation of cocaine into the State
Conspiracy to import cocaine into the State (2 counts)
Conspiracy to distribute cocaine (6 counts)
Possession cocaine (2 counts)
Distribution of cocaine in a school zone
Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine in a school zone
Conspiracy to distribute PCP
Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute PCP
Thomas, Darnell Eugene, 39, is charged with:
Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine
Distribution of cocaine in a school zone
Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine in a school zone
Distribution of cocaine
Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine
Possession of cocaine
Possession of paraphernalia
Budd, Troy Duane, 48, is charged with:
Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine
Hughes, Darrell Gregory, 46, is charged with:
Conspiracy to distribute cocaine (3 counts)
2 counts of. Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine
3. counts of Conspiracy to import cocaine into the state
4. counts of Conspiracy to distribute PCP
5. counts of Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute PCP
Johnson, Eric Tyril, 32, is charged with:
Conspiracy to distribute cocaine (3 counts)
2. counts of Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine (3 counts)
Talley, Evette Monique, 43, is charged with
Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine
2. counts of Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
3.counts of Possession of cocaine
4. counts of Importation of cocaine into the State
5. counts of Conspiracy to import cocaine into the State
Lieutenant Pennington says officers used a wide array of law enforcement techniques to gather information about this drug distribution operation. “It ultimately culminated into what we call a wiretap or a title three. That wiretap took enormous amounts of resources and ultimately did prove to be fruitful in the arrest of these 11 individuals and the seizure of over 250 grams of powder cocaine and 40 grams of heroin,” he said.
In addition, he says, investigators learned that this drug distribution operation expanded beyond Frederick into Middletown, Hagerstown, Baltimore and Charles Town, West Virginia. “We used the resources between here and New York state and here in West Virginia to insure that we were able to make this case and ultimately make these arrests,” says Lieutenant Pennington.
Police say this distribution network had ties to New York City and Baltimore. Lieutenant Pennington says the drugs were brought from those two cities into Frederick to be sold.
He says 11 people in total were arrested, even though only six are listed in a news release by the Frederick Police Department. “We went to indictment on six individuals of the major distribution-type charges. We had five other individuals that were arrested and wrapped up in this case, but they did not go to indictment. We charged them on warrants. They were of lesser charges. The six major players that were released in the press release today {Fri} were the ones we received Circuit Court indictments on,” he says.
Police had wrapped up their investigation by March, 2016, but Lieutenant Pennington says the information was withheld until a final suspect was arrested on Tuesday. “We found him in Baltimore. With the assistance of the Baltimore City Police Department and other partners from Baltimore County, we were able to take him into custody which ultimately prompted us the release of this information,” he says.
Frederick Police were assisted in this investigation by the Sheriff’s Office, the Maryland State Police, US Department of Homeland Security, and the police departments of Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Hagerstown.
By Kevin McManus