MEDIA RELEASE
DATE: November 23, 2021
RE: Conviction of Neal Turner, Jr.
(Bel Air, Maryland) – Albert J. Peisinger, Jr., State’s Attorney for Harford County, has announced the conviction of Neal Turner, Jr., 36, of Edgewood, Maryland, for possession with the intent to distribute heroin.
On January 11, 2021, detectives with the Harford County Narcotics Task Force were called to the scene of a fatal overdose at a hotel room in Aberdeen. Detectives observed suspected heroin in the victim’s room and recovered the victim’s cell phone. The last call placed by the victim was to a telephone number utilized by Neal Turner, Jr.
On January 13, 2021, utilizing the victim’s cell phone, detectives texted Mr. Turner and asked to purchase heroin. Believing he was communicating with the victim, Mr. Turner agreed to sell $360 of heroin and deliver it to a hotel room in Edgewood. Detectives provided a room number and shortly thereafter Mr. Turner knocked on the door. Police announced their presence and Mr. Turner ran, tossing a zip lock bag of heroin as he fled. After a brief pursuit, Mr. Turner was apprehended and placed under arrest.
Detectives discovered that Mr. Turner was staying in the same hotel in Edgewood and searched his room, where they found multiple drug capsules, drug paraphernalia, as well as a heat sealer used to package narcotics. Mr. Turner’s car was also searched, and detectives recovered an additional 44 capsules of heroin.
On November 22, 2021, the Honorable Kevin J. Mahoney imposed a total sentence of 20 years suspend all but 15 years incarceration to be served at the Division of Corrections. The Defendant will be on five years of supervised probation when he is released.
“According to the National Center for Health Statistics, in the past year there have been more than 100,000 fatal overdoses nationwide which exceeded the total number car crashes and gun fatalities combined,” said Harford County State’s Attorney Albert J. Peisinger. “Our office is committed to combatting this epidemic by working with our law enforcement partners to identify and remove drug dealers from the streets by seeking significant jail sentences against these traffickers.”
Mr. Peisinger thanked Assistant State’s Attorney Chris 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. Turner.