On March 3, the Charles County Sheriff's Office's Narcotics Enforcement Section, which includes Maryland State Police troopers, executed a search and seizure warrant at a residence in the 5600 block of Ted Bowling Road in Bryantown that was operating as an open-air drug market. With assistance from the Emergency Services Team, the Tactical Response Squad, detectives, a community policing officer and a K9 team, they recovered suspected crack cocaine with a potential street value of $5,600, suspected marijuana with a potential street value of $250, numerous items of CDS paraphernalia including scales, a rifle and a ballistic vest, and $2,500 in cash. Detectives arrested Rico Demont Nelson, 25, of Waldorf, Zachary Jermaine Cole, 18, of Accokeek and Sandra Eloise Thomas, 45, of Bryantown for felony drug violations.
As they were executing the search warrant, undercover detectives posing as drug dealers stood in front of the residence. Between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m., the Sheriff's Office arrested five more individuals who purchased a crack-cocaine-like substance from the undercover detectives. Two vehicles were seized for forfeiture and three other vehicles were towed after their operators were arrested.