LEONARDTOWN, Md. (Dec. 7, 2008)—Southern Maryland is the wrong place to be in the illegal drug business. Local police continued their relentless efforts to arrest sellers and users during a two day enforcement operation conducted Thursday and Friday.
St. Mary's County Vice Narcotics officers made 13 arrests related to illegal drugs and 4 arrests for prostitution.
William Herman "Billy" Tippett, age 34, Russell Wilfred Dufour, age 45, David Jodie Quade, age 41, and Donald Joseph Taylor Jr., age 32, were indicted on several counts of conspiring to distribute and distribution of cocaine. They were arrested on No Bond warrants.
The arrests stem from an investigation that ran from June 2008 until the end of the summer. Vice Narcotics detectives say they were making purchases of cocaine from a group of related individuals in the Sandgates area of St. Mary's County. The suspects allegedly utilized the parking lot of a bar to conduct their illegal drug dealing. Over the course of several months detectives say they made numerous purchases of cocaine.
Additional charges are pending as the case reviews with the State's Attorney Richard D. Fritz if ongoing.
Antonio Jamear Warrick, age 18, was served with a Grand Jury indictment for "Possession of Prescription Medication with the Intent to Distribute (Hydrocodone)."
Robert Oscar Newland, age 22, of California, was arrested on a Grand Jury indictment for "Manufacturing Marijuana and Possession with Intent to Distribute."
Robert James Pennington, age 18, of Valley Lee, was arrested for "Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana" after Vice Narcotics detectives indicted him through the Grand Jury.
Marcus Anthony Mills, age 21, of Lexington Park, was indicted by detectives after he was allegedly found to be in possession of a quantity of Oxycodone pills that indicated intent to distribute.
Detainers were filed on John Columbus Courtney, age 38, for "Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine." Courtney is currently serving eight years in the Department of Corrections form a previous felony cocaine conviction.
A detainer was filed on Eric Javon Thomas aka "E," age 28, who is incarcerated in the Calvert County Detention Center for two counts of distribution of cocaine.
Narcotics detectives, assisted by the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office Emergency Services Team, executed a search and seizure warrant in the California area. The target of the warrant was Christina Lorene-Marie Pace, age 18. Pace was arrested after felony amounts of marijuana, LSD, and Ecstasy were allegedly recovered from the home. Additional charges are pending a State's Attorney's Office review.
A search and seizure warrant was executed on a Lexington Park home and Timothy Ignatius Brooks, Sr., age 42, and Michael Donell Marshall, age 35, were arrested for possession of marijuana.
Vice Narcotics detectives conducted a prostitution operation in the Lexington Park area and arrested the following females:
-- Sheila Christine Vernon, age 38,
-- Priscilla Ann Fenwick, age 40,
-- Natasha Mauren Kelly, age 23, and
-- Nicole Anne Kelly, age 23.