Category Archives: Uncategorized

Baltimore Man Convicted of First-Degree Murder

MEDIA RELEASE

DATE: March 30, 2022

RE: Murder Conviction

(Bel Air, Maryland) – Albert J. Peisinger, Jr., State’s Attorney for Harford County, has announced that on March 29, 2022, a Harford County jury found Sherron Garrett, from Baltimore, Maryland, guilty of murder in the first degree, conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree, and possession of a regulated firearm by a person with a felony conviction, following a multi-day trial before the Honorable Kevin J. Mahoney. Sentencing is set for June 9, 2022.

On September 29, 2019, Harford County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to 1931 Edgewater Drive for a reported shooting. Upon arrival, deputies located Deandre Sellers, who was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite immediate life-saving efforts by deputies and emergency services personnel, Mr. Sellers succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. Detectives responded to the scene and began an investigation. Witnesses at the scene revealed to investigators that Mr. Sellers was involved in a verbal altercation earlier that day which ended with a threat of violence against him. A further argument was reported at approximately 6:55 that evening just before three gunshots rang out.

Investigators located and collected three shell casings from the scene of the murder, as well as a cleaning rod to an SKS assault rifle. Seven days later, the SKS assault rifle itself was found by a concerned citizen and reported to law enforcement. Investigators were able to recover a fingerprint from tape around the gun and matched that fingerprint to Sheron Garrett. Further forensic testing by the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division confirmed this weapon fired the casings at the murder scene. Mr. Garrett denied having been in Harford County on September 29 or for months prior, but cell data analysis provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation demonstrated that he traveled from his home in Baltimore City to scene of the murder at the time of the shooting.

“The actions of Sheron Garrett were shocking, brutal and not only took a life, but victimized an entire neighborhood,” said Harford County State’s Attorney Albert Peisinger, Jr. “It is my hope that this verdict brings a measure of justice to the family of the victim of this callous and senseless act. As this case shows, my Office, together with our Federal, State and Local law enforcement partners, will continue to use all available tools to solve crimes and hold violent offenders accountable.”

Mr. Peisinger further thanked the jurors who deliberated the case. He also praised the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as all other first responders for their efforts in rendering aid at the scene and for the extensive investigation that resulted in the conviction of Mr. Garrett. Additionally, he commended Assistant State’s Attorneys Jason Allen and Charles Fitzpatrick for their exceptional advocacy in this highly complex case that resulted in this guilty verdict.

Baltimore Man Convicted of Possession With Intent to Distribute Cocaine

Baltimore Man Convicted of Possession With Intent to Distribute Cocaine

MEDIA RELEASE

DATE: March 21, 2022

Conviction of Sterling Anton Melton
(Bel Air, Maryland) – Albert J. Peisinger, Jr., State’s Attorney for Harford County, has announced the conviction of Sterling Anton Melton, 35, of Baltimore, Maryland, for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.

On February 25, 2020, Detectives from the Harford County Sheriff’s Office received information that a man was selling illegal narcotics from an apartment at the Stay Inn and Suites, located at 636 S. Philadelphia Boulevard in Aberdeen. Working with the Aberdeen Police Department, Detectives from both agencies conducted covert surveillance on the Stay Inn and Suites and observed what appeared to be illicit narcotics activity, specifically originating from room 117. Based upon this information, Detectives sought and obtained a search and seizure warrant.

On March 3, 2020, Detectives from the Harford County Sheriff’s Office and the Aberdeen Police Department conducted further surveillance on room 117 and observed the suspected dealer, later identified as Sterling Anton Melton, leave the room and get into a waiting vehicle. That vehicle was then stopped and Mr. Melton was taken into custody. The subsequent search of room 117 resulted in the recovery of approximately seven grams for crack cocaine, as well as marijuana, and three loaded handguns. A search incident to the arrest of Sterling Melton resulted in the additional recovery of approximately 16 grams of crack cocaine from his person.

On March 21, 2022, the Honorable Paul W. Ishak imposed a total sentence of twenty (20) years suspending all but fourteen (14) years to be served at the Division of Correction. Upon release, Mr. Melton will be on three (3) years of supervised probation.

“This conviction serves as yet another reminder that my Office works closely with our law enforcement partners from across Harford County to pursue persons involved in the sale of dangerous drugs and hold them accountable,” said Harford County State’s Attorney Albert Peisinger, Jr. “We will take whatever steps are necessary to remove illegal guns and narcotics from our communities and make our neighborhoods safe.”

Mr. Peisinger thanked Assistant State’s Attorney Jennifer Jaskulski-Tripp who prosecuted this matter and commended the Harford County Sheriff’s Office and the Aberdeen Police Department for their teamwork and dedication to conducting the investigation which resulted in the arrest and conviction of Sterling Anton Melton.

South Carolina Man Convicted of First Degree assault and Robbery in Harford County

South Carolina Man Convicted of First Degree Assault and Robbery in Harford County

MEDIA RELEASE
DATE: March 15, 2022
RE: Conviction of Brian Summerson

(Bel Air, Maryland) – Albert J. Peisinger, Jr., State’s Attorney for Harford County, has announced the conviction of Brian Summerson, from Dillon, South Carolina for assault in the first degree and robbery.

On January 8, 2021, Harford County Sheriff’s Detectives responded to Mercy Hospital for the report of anassault that had occurred earlier in Belcamp. Detectives interviewed the victim who indicated that she met a man online and agreed to meet him in Harford County. During the course of their interaction, the suspect strangled the victim and forced her to send him money through Cash App. The victim later provided phone numbers to Detectives and positively identified Brian Summerson through a photo array as her attacker. Detectives further discovered that Mr. Summerson was arrested in Florida after this incident for a similar crime and a Federal warrant had been issued for an alleged kidnapping in Tennessee.

Mr. Summerson was extradited to Harford County where he stood trial. Following a four-day bench trial in front of the Honorable Kevin J. Mahoney, Mr. Summerson was convicted of assault in the first degree and robbery. Sentencing has been scheduled for May 13, 2022 where he faces a maximum sentence of 40 years incarceration.

“This was a horrible crime that has forever changed the victim’s life and I hope this conviction provides some closure for her,” said Harford County State’s Attorney Albert Peisinger, Jr. “As this case confirms, we will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of justice in Harford County, no matter where the perpetrators are from or where they may go. There is no place other than prison for people who come into our community and commit violent crime.”

Mr. Peisinger thanked the Harford County Sheriff’s Office for their response and investigation and Assistant State’s Attorneys Cyndi Adkins and Toi Mason for their advocacy that resulted in the conviction of Mr. Summerson.

TWO HARFORD COUNTY COCAINE DEALERS CONVICTED AFTER FEDERAL TRIAL FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN A DRUG DISTRIBUTION CONSPIRACY

U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
District of Maryland
Erek L. Barron 36 South Charles Street 410-209-4800
United States Attorney4th Floor TTY/TDD: 410-962-4462
Baltimore, Maryland 21201 410-209-4885
Marcia A. Murphy FAX 410-962-3091
Public Affairs Specialist Marcia.Murphy@usdoj.gov
March 11, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact MARCIA MURPHY
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4854

TWO HARFORD COUNTY COCAINE DEALERS CONVICTED AFTER FEDERAL TRIAL FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN A DRUG DISTRIBUTION CONSPIRACY

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Che Jaron Durbin, age 43, of Aberdeen, Maryland and Terrell Darnell Walton, age 36, of Delaware, yesterday on federal charges related to their participation in a drug trafficking organization distributing cocaine and crack cocaine in Harford County, Maryland. Specifically, the jury convicted Durbin and Walton for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine. The jury also found Durbin guilty of two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

The guilty verdict was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Harford County State’s Attorney Albert J. Peisinger, Jr.; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office; and the Harford County Drug Task Force, a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, comprised of members of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, the Aberdeen Police Department, the Bel Air Police Department, and the Havre de Grace Police Department.

According to evidence presented at the eight-day trial, in May 2019, members of the Harford County Drug Task Force were investigating Durbin, who was suspected of drug trafficking in the Harford County area. Durbin testified at trial that he had a previous federal drug trafficking conviction in Maryland, as well as a previous conviction in Harford County Circuit Court for drug trafficking.

Witnesses testified that on May 17, 2019, a U.S. Postal Inspector notified detectives that a suspicious package was en route to Durbin’s mother’s apartment in Aberdeen, Maryland. Detectives watched as a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier delivered the parcel to Durbin, who took it into the apartment. A short time later, a woman, later identified as co-defendant Jameka Cara Thompson, left the apartment with the parcel and drove to her home. Law enforcement detained Thompson and obtained a search warrant for her vehicle. The parcel was found to contain one kilogram of compressed cocaine. Further investigation revealed that co-defendant Jack Anderson from Tucson, Arizona was the sender of the package.

On January 22, 2020, law enforcement learned from U.S. Postal Inspectors that Durbin sent a parcel from Havre de Grace, Maryland, addressed to Anderson in Tucson, Arizona. A search warrant was obtained for the parcel after a K9 gave a positive alert. The parcel contained $82,300 in cash inside a wireless headphones box.

In February 2020, as part of the investigation, law enforcement intercepted Durbin’s
communications, as well as those of Anderson, Walton, and other co-defendants to whom Durbin supplied cocaine and crack. The evidence at trial also showed that Walton obtained cocaine from Durbin, which Walton then sold to a network of individuals in Harford County. Intercepted communications between Durbin and Walton included discussions regarding the amounts of drugs and the price, often using coded language.

According to trial testimony, in May 2020, law enforcement surveilled Durbin meeting with Anderson at a Tucson, Arizona hotel. Soon after the meeting, Durbin picked Thompson up at the Tucson Airport and drove her back to his hotel room. Durbin flew back to Maryland the next day and Thompson ultimately obtained a bulk supply of cocaine from Anderson on Durbin’s behalf. Thompson drove cross-country from Arizona to Harford County, where she was arrested on May 12, 2020. Law enforcement searched her vehicle, seizing an additional 1.4 kilograms of cocaine. Durbin was also arrested. According to trial testimony, over the course of the conspiracy Thompson made at least eight similar trips on Durbin’s behalf, transporting almost 40 kilograms of cocaine to Maryland for Durbin to distribute.

Durbin and Walton each face a maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine. Durbin also faces a maximum of 40 years in federal prison for each of two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has not scheduled sentencing dates for Durbin or Walton.

Co-defendant Jack Anderson IV, age 45, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced to 126 months in federal prison in December 2021, after Anderson entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Co-defendants Jameka Cara Thompson, age 41, of Abingdon, Maryland; Garrick Devlon Jackson, age 39, of Havre de Grace, Maryland; and Michael Ronnell Wells, age 37, of Forest Hill, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office, the DEA, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, and the Harford County Drug Task Force for their work in the investigation and thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Romano and Jason X. Hamilton, who are prosecuting the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

Aberdeen Man Convicted of Possessing Handguns and Large Amounts of Fentanyl

MEDIA RELEASE
DATE: March 10, 2022
RE: Conviction of Adrian Lamar Goodwin

(Bel Air, Maryland) – Albert J. Peisinger, Jr., State’s Attorney for Harford County, has announced the conviction of Adrian Lamar Goodwin, 36, of Aberdeen, Maryland, for possession of fentanyl in the amount of five grams or more and for possession of a regulated firearm after having been convicted a disqualifying crime.

In February 2020, the Harford County Narcotics Task Force began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in Harford County, Maryland. Utilizing court ordered surveillance, investigators determined that a drug trafficking organization was transporting cocaine from Tucson, Arizona into Harford County for redistribution. Multiple co-conspirators were identified in this criminal enterprise including Adrian Lamar Goodwin. After numerous hours of surveillance, investigators were able to identify several residences utilized daily by the coconspirators, including a house located at 620 S. Freedom Lane in Havre de Grace, Maryland, where detectives observed numerous actions consistent with the drug trade. Over the course of the investigation, Adrian Lamar Goodwin was identified as one of only two people who had a key to this residence. Mr. Goodwin was observed at this house almost daily using a key to enter the location. Additionally, between April and May 2020, Mr. Goodwin was the only individual spending the night.

On May 12, 2020, a search and seizure warrant was executed at 620 S. Freedom Lane and Adrian Lamar Goodwin was inside one of the bedrooms. In that same bedroom, inside the dresser was a prescription pill bottle with no label containing 69 greenish pills with a weight of approximately 7.5 grams that were later determined by the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division to be fentanyl. These pills had been pressed to look like oxycodone. Also located within the residence in the other bedroom was a bag containing three handguns and ammunition.

On March 9, 2022, the Honorable Paul W. Ishak sentenced Adrian Lamar Goodwin to twenty years suspending all but fourteen years of which the first five are to be served without the possibility of parole for possession of Fentanyl in the amount of five grams or more and to five years without the possibility of parole for possession of a regulated firearm after having been convicted of a disqualifying crime to be served concurrently in the Division of Corrections.

“According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, a fatal dose of fentanyl is approximately two milligrams, making it one of the most dangerous narcotics illegally trafficked today,” said Harford County State’s Attorney Albert J. Peisinger, Jr. “The actions of the Harford County Narcotics Task Force have saved many lives by taking off of the streets enough fentanyl to kill thousands of people and removing the drug dealer responsible from our community.”

Mr. Peisinger thanked Assistant State’s Attorneys Jennifer Jaskulski-Tripp and Christopher J. Romano who prosecuted this matter and commended the Harford County Narcotics Task Force, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Aberdeen Police Department, the Havre de Grace Police Department, the Bel Air Police Department, the Cecil County Drug Task Force, the DEA, the U.S. Postal Inspectors Office and the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division for their teamwork and dedication which resulted in the arrest and conviction of Adrian Lamar Goodwin.

Harford County State’s Attorney Office and Harford County Sheriff’s Office Announce Indictment and Arrest of Two Suspects in 2019 Murder

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NEWS RELEASE

Two Suspects in Custody For 2019 Murder of Food Delivery Driver

For Immediate Release: Kyle Andersen, HCSO Media & Public Relations, 410-836-5224

[March 4, 2022, Bel Air, MD] Two Harford County men are in custody, following an indictment by a Harford County Grand Jury for the February 10, 2019, murder of food delivery driver Timothy Wayne Youngquist in Edgewood.

On February 10, 2019, at approximately 8:30 p.m., patrol deputies assigned to the Southern Precinct of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 700 block of Monticello Court in Edgewood for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, deputies located 34-year-old Timothy Wayne Youngquist suffering from a gunshot wound. Deputies immediately began life saving measures in an attempt to save Youngquist’s life. Medics with the Joppa Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company took over emergency care and transported Youngquist to the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries.

Information gathered at the time of the incident indicated Youngquist was working in the area as a food delivery driver when he was shot in an apparent robbery.

Detectives with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division partnered with Special Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division and Investigators from the Maryland State Police to advance the investigation over the course of three years. Based on information gleaned during an ongoing federal investigation, suspects were identified in connection to the murder.

On March 1, 2022, prosecutors from the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office presented evidence to a Grand Jury, which resulted in the indictments of Jabreel Jaon Brodie, 20, of Joppa, and Jaquan James Rashard Northan, 21, of Joppa on charges of first- and second degree murder, manslaughter, attempted armed carjacking, attempted carjacking, armed robbery, robbery, conspiracy to commit armed carjacking, conspiracy to commit carjacking and firearms use in commission of a felony. Harford County State’s Attorney, Albert J. Peisinger, Jr. also requested warrants be issued for their arrest.

Deputies assigned to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Apprehension Unit took Northan into custody without incident on Tuesday, March 1. They took Brodie into custody without incident on Thursday, March 3. Both are being held at the Harford County Detention Center without bail.

The Harford County Sheriff’s Office praised the joint efforts of all the allied agencies who assisted in this investigation, including the Maryland State Police, the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division, and the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland.

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Marijuana Dealer Receives Maximum Sentence

MARIJUANA DEALER RECEIVES MAXIMUM SENTENCE
DATE: February 24, 2022

(Bel Air, Maryland) – Albert J. Peisinger, Jr., State’s Attorney for Harford County, has announced the conviction of John Williams Powell Mayo, 38, of Richmond, Virginia, for possession of a large amount of marijuana, which in this case was approximately 100 pounds.

On August 5, 2021, an officer with the Maryland Transportation Authority Police conducted a traffic stop on a 2008 Honda Odyssey bearing a Virginia registration. The sole occupant and operator of the vehicle was John Williams Powell Mayo. Based upon observations by the officer, he requested that a canine unit respond to the location so that a scan of the vehicle could be conducted. Due to the alert by the canine, a search of the vehicle was conducted.

Recovered from the vehicle in the rear of the driver’s seat was a backpack which contained a mason jar filled with greenish brown leafy substance, suspected marijuana. In addition, there were two glass smoking devices containing trace amounts of suspected marijuana, a metal grinder containing a greenish brown leafy substance, suspected marijuana, wax rolling papers, and a small glass bottle containing a yellow in color wax substance, suspected THC wax. These items were located near two prescription bottles with Mr. Mayo’s name on them.

In the rear cargo area, three large duffel bags were located which contained a total of one hundred heat sealed bags containing a large amount of greenish brown leafy substance, suspected marijuana which weighed approximately one hundred pounds.

A subsequent analysis of the recovered substances found in Mr. Mayo’s vehicle was determined to be marijuana.

On February 23, 2022, the Honorable Diane Adkins-Tobin imposed a total sentence of five years without the possibility of parole to be served at the Division of Corrections, which is the maximum sentence for this offense.

“Although the current desire in the Maryland Legislature this session is to legalize marijuana, this case is a clear example to those legislators of the sheer amount that offenders will attempt to import and sell in our communities,” said Harford County State’s Attorney Albert J. Peisinger, Jr. “I will continue to uphold my oath and work with our law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable for all of our state drug laws.”

Mr. Peisinger thanked Assistant State’s Attorney Jennifer Jaskulski-Tripp who prosecuted this matter and commended the Maryland Transportation Authority Police and their Canine Unit, for their exceptional work and dedication in this investigation which resulted in the arrest and conviction of John Williams Powell Mayo.

Cocaine Supplier Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Cocaine Trafficking Charges

Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Maryland
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, December 17, 2021

Cocaine Supplier Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Cocaine Trafficking Charges

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell sentenced Jack Anderson IV, age 45, of Tucson, Arizona, to 126 months in federal prison after Anderson entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.

The guilty plea and sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Harford County State’s Attorney Albert J. Peisinger, Jr.; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office; and the Harford County Narcotics Task Force comprised of members of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Aberdeen Police Department, Bel Air Police Department, and Havre de Grace Police Department.

According to Anderson’s plea agreement, on May 17, 2019, members of the Harford County Narcotics Task Force conducted an investigation into co-conspirator Che Jaron Durbin, age 43, of Aberdeen, Maryland, after receiving notification that a parcel containing one kilogram of cocaine was shipped by Anderson from Tucson, Arizona to Durbin in Aberdeen, Maryland. Detectives learned from the United States Postal Inspection Service that the parcel was scheduled to be delivered to an Aberdeen, Maryland apartment.

After the parcel was delivered, detectives continued to watch the Aberdeen, Maryland apartment. Soon after, investigators observed a woman, later identified as Jameka Cara Thompson, leaving the apartment and place the parcel in her vehicle.

Shortly after Thompson arrived at her destination, detectives detained her and executed a search warrant on her vehicle. Upon searching the parcel, detectives recovered one kilogram of compressed cocaine.

On January 22, 2020, law enforcement was informed that a parcel had been sent by Durbin to Anderson in Arizona. The parcel was believed to contain cash. Investigators then arranged to have the parcel sent back to Maryland for further investigation. Upon examination of the parcel, investigators discovered $82,300.00 within a box originally labeled as high-end headphones.

As stated in Anderson’s plea agreement, in February 2020, law enforcement began to conduct a wiretap investigation on several narcotics dealers in Harford County, Maryland, including Durbin. As a result of the investigation, Anderson was identified as Durbin’s cocaine supplier.

Further, in May 2020, law enforcement while conducting surveillance observed Durbin and Anderson meet at a Tucson, Arizona hotel room, where they met for a brief period of time. Soon after the meeting, Durbin traveled to the Tucson, Arizona Airport where he was seen meeting with Thompson and driving her back to his hotel room. Thompson ultimately obtained a bulk supply of cocaine from Anderson at the Arizona hotel.

Based on the surveillance by task force detectives of Durbin, Thompson, and Anderson, in Arizona, law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant on Thompson’s vehicle after she arrived back in Harford County, Maryland. As a result of the search warrant, officers seized an additional 1.4 kilograms of cocaine.

Anderson agreed that based on his role in the conspiracy he was involved in the distribution of at least five kilograms but less than fifteen kilograms of cocaine.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office, the DEA, Harford County Sheriff’s Office, and the Harford County Narcotics Task Force for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant Special U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Romano, who prosecuted the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

Full Press Release can be found here:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/cocaine-supplier-pleads-guilty-and-sentenced-over-10-years-federal-prison-cocaine

Elkton Resident Receives 14 Year Prison sentence for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

MEDIA RELEASE
DATE: December 6, 2021

RE: Conviction of Duke Wayne Lambert

(Bel Air, Maryland) – Albert J. Peisinger, Jr., State’s Attorney for Harford County, has announced the conviction of Duke Wayne Lambert, 37, of Elkton, Maryland, for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.

On February 3, 2021, detectives with the Harford County Narcotics Task Force responded to the scene of fatal overdose. During the course of the investigation, detectives recovered the victim’s phone and through analysis of the listed phone contacts, text conversations were observed between the decedent and numbers utilized by Lambert and a co-conspirator.

Later that same day, detectives with the Task Force utilized the victim’s phone to contact Lambert. In a series of text messages and using coded drug language, the detectives arranged to purchase a quantity of narcotics. The detectives then rented a room at the Red Roof Inn in Edgewood. The detectives texted the room number and told Lambert both the quantity and type of narcotics they wanted. After hearing a knock on the door to their hotel room, detectives opened the door and confronted Lambert, who was placed under arrest. A search incident to the arrest of Lambert revealed multiple glassine bags containing fentanyl. Lambert had a cell phone on his person which the detectives linked to the decedents phone.

On December 3, 2021, the Honorable Yolanda Curtin imposed a total sentence of 20 years suspend all but 14 years incarceration to be served at the Division of Corrections. The Defendant will be on five years of supervised probation when he is released.

Mr. Peisinger thanked Assistant State’s Attorney Christopher J. Romano who prosecuted this matter and commended the Harford County Narcotics Task Force and the Maryland State Police Forensic Science Division for their hard work and dedication in conducting the investigation that resulted in the arrest and conviction of Mr. Lambert. Charges are still pending on Lambert’s co-conspirator.

Holiday Office Hours

Our office will be closing at 1pm on November 24, 2021 and reopening at 8am on Monday November 29, 2021.