DENTON, Md. (AP)- Twenty-five people have been sentenced for their involvement in a heroin distribution ring in Caroline County, including the kingpin.
Caroline County State's Attorney Jonathan Newell on Monday announced the sentences of the co-defendants, who were indicted by the Caroline County Grand Jury last summer. Twenty-eight-year-old Byron Drummond of Denton was found guilty on May 14 of being a drug kingpin and was given a 20-year sentence without the possibility of parole.
Prosecutors say Drummond's organization distributed more than $42,000 worth of heroin in a three-week period last June.
Newell says plea agreements for the defendants varied based on their involvement, their prior criminal records and addiction issues. The sentences combined to equal more than 200 years, with more than 100 years to serve.
List of Defendants and Their Sentences
On May 14, 2015, Byron Drummond of Denton, the head of the organization, entered a plea of “not guilty on an agreed statement of facts” after which he was found guilty of being a Heroin Kingpin. Drummond was sentenced to 20 years to serve in the Division of Corrections, without the possibility of parole. A drug kingpin conviction requires proof that an individual ran an operation that distributed at least 28 grams of heroin in a 90 day period. The evidence in this case showed that Drummond's organization distributed over 380 grams of heroin for $42,000 between June 2 and June 23, 2014, the time period during which the court-ordered wiretap of Drummond's phones were operational. The evidence derived from the phone calls and text messages as well as multiple search warrants of residences and vehicles resulted in the arrest of the co-defendants.
Gary Kess of Windsor Mill, one of Drummond's sources of supply, was referred for prosecution to the U.S. Attorney's Office and received 12 years to serve without parole in a Federal correctional facility.
Kyle Cannon of Ridgely, Drummond's half brother, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin, and received 20 years to the division of Corrections with ten years suspended, but without the possibility of parole on the first ten years to serve. He will be on probation for five years upon release.
Taylor Gibson of Denton, Drummond's girlfriend, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and received 20 years, with ten suspended, ten years to serve in the Division of Corrections and five years of supervised probation upon release.
Joseph Dean of Denton pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and received 20 years with 12 years suspended, eight years to serve in DOC and five years of supervised probation upon release.
Kentral Carter of Ridgely pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and received 20 years with 13 years suspended, seven years to serve in DOC and five years of supervised probation upon release.
Adam Hutson of Greensboro pled guilty to conspiracy distribute heroin and received 20 years with 13 years suspended, seven years to serve in DOC and five years of supervised probation upon release.
Mark Rich of Denton pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and received a flat sentence of seven years to serve.
Charles Outland of Denton pled guilty to conspiracy to possess heroin and received a flat sentence of five years to serve.
Andrew Brelia of Greensboro pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and received 12 years with 7 years suspended, five years to serve in DOC and five years of supervised probation upon release.
Jonathan Allen of Henderson pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and received 10 years with 5 years suspended, five years to serve in DOC and five years of supervised probation upon release.
Kyreasha Flamer of Ridgely pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and received 4 years with two and a half years suspended, eighteen months to serve and five years of supervised probation upon release.
Edward Blanch of Greensboro pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and received a sentence of 8 years with 6 and a half years suspended, with 18 months to serve and five years of supervised probation.
James Wilmer of Denton pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and received 4 years with 3 years suspended, one year to serve and five years of supervised probation upon release.
Lexi Whiteley of Ridgely pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and received 4 years with 3 years suspended, one year to serve and five years of supervised probation upon release.
Julie Mitchell of Denton pled guilty to possession of cocaine and received 3 years with 2 years suspended, one year to serve with probation upon release.
Emily Hill of Denton pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and received one year with 9 months suspended, three months to serve followed by supervised probation.
David Shahan of Delaware pled guilty to possession of heroin and received 4 years with 3 years suspended, one year to serve and five years of supervised probation.
Bruce Drummond of Ridgely pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and received a fully suspended sentence of three years with 2 years of supervised probation.
Melissa Dean of Greensboro pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and received a fully suspended 18 month sentence. Her boyfriend, James Caskey of Crownsville, had his case deferred to Anne Arundel County for prosecution of a related charge.
Samantha Mitchell of Denton pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute prescription pills and was initially given a fully suspended 18 month sentence, but is already pending a violation of that probation.
Andrew White of Denton pled guilty to possession of heroin and received a flat sentence of 18 months to serve. White also pled guilty to obtaining property worth over $500 from a vulnerable adult, stemming from the theft of well over $100,000 from his grandfather, former Maryland Gov. Harry Hughes of Denton over the course of several years, mostly through ATM withdrawals. White used the stolen funds to purchase hundreds of dollars worth of heroin per day for personal use from Byron Drummond and his associates. On the vulnerable adult charge, White received a sentence of 10 years to the Division of Corrections, with all but 18 months suspended, to be served consecutively to the 18 months imposed in the heroin case and five years of supervised probation. Restitution was handled by a civil agreement outside of the criminal case.
Two other defendants, Jason Bowen of Denton and Jared Mitchell of Delaware are pending resolution of their cases. In every case where probation was part of the sentence imposed, drug treatment was ordered as a condition of probation. In addition, several vehicles and over $40,000 in cash were seized and forfeited.
