Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
Police in Calvert County have announced an arrest in a three month long drug dealing investigation, which concluded last week. The suspect, a 28 year old man hailing from Scotland, Maryland, was arrested on three controlled substance violations including misdemeanor heroin possession, felony possession with intent to distribute, and CDS possession of a large amount. The man was released a few days after being taken into custody on a $75,000 bail. His case is now set for a preliminary hearing in Calvert County District Court on July 12th, but the case will undoubtedly be sent to Circuit Court for disposition.
County police began investigating the man back in March, and used a variety of sources during the course of the investigation. Perhaps the biggest break in the case came when state troopers arrested a different man on a drug violation, and then obtained a search warrant for his phone. Police found numerous text messages between the two men, which discussed potential sales and other drug information. Confidential informants were also used by police to gather information about the 28-year-old man, who was widely believed to have been one of Southern Maryland’s largest heroin dealers. The informants also allegedly told police that the man is known for carrying a firearm to and from trips to his own supplier. This information led police to begin surveillance on the alleged dealer, which was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Unit of the Calvert Police. On the day of the arrest, the DEU followed the man has he allegedly made numerous stops at houses of suspected heroin buyers, and also observed the man engage in a hand to hand transaction with two individuals in an SUV. Calvert County Police and Sheriffs then conducted a traffic stop on the man where they located approximately 100 grams of heroin in the engine compartment of the vehicle, and numerous bundles of cash.
Upon being arrested the dealer allegedly waived his Miranda rights and admitted to dealing heroin and obtaining large amounts of money in exchange for his product. It would seem from the statement of the charges that the 28 year old and his defense lawyer are facing an uphill battle to fight these charges. Possession of heroin with intent to deliver carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence, while possession of a large amount is an enhancer that carries a 5-year minimum mandatory sentence. A minimum mandatory sentence cannot be waived or suspended by a judge and does not allow the defendant to be paroled at any time while serving the sentence. This charge also carries a maximum fine of $100,000. Possession of a large amount is a charge that was created to enhance the punishment for so called volume dealers. The minimum quantity for this charge depends on the type of drug at issue. For marijuana the magic number is 50 pounds, for cocaine the number is 448 grams, and for crack the number is 50 grams. Unfortunately for the arrested man the number for morphine and opium derivatives such as heroin, the number is a paltry 28 grams, which is almost four times less than he was allegedly arrested with. The Blog will follow the progress of this case and may post a future article depending on the outcome.
Benjamin Herbst is a heroin lawyer, specializing in possession with intent to distribute and trafficking. Contact Benjamin anytime for a free consultation about your case.
Resources
Calvert police arrest heroin dealer, suspected to be largest supplier in region, SoMdNews.com.