SALISBURY, Md. - A Wicomico County judge has sentenced a Salisbury man to 35 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, among other charges.
On January 7th, Irving Henderson Jones III, 31, of Salisbury, was convicted by a Wicomico County jury on charges of possessing fentanyl, xanax, and marijuana with the intent to distribute.
The conviction stems from a June 19, 2014 incident in which Jones was stopped for running a stop sign. During the stop, Maryland State Police say troopers noticed suspicious interactions between Jones and a passenger in the front seat. During the trial is was revealed that Jones had in his possession $1,004.00, a digital scale, and various bags of fentanyl, xanax, and marijuana.
On February 20th, Jones was sentenced as a second time offender to 35 year in prison, with the first 10 years to be served without the possibility of parole. Jones was previously convicted in 2010 for possessing with intent to distribute heroin.
Wicomico County State's Attorney Matthew A. Maciarello commended the Maryland State Police and the Salisbury Police Department for working in tandem to secure this conviction of a repeat narcotics dealer. The State's Attorney's Office believes this to be an important conviction.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Fentanyl is 80-100 times more potent than morphine and is roughly 15-20 times more potent than heroin. The combination of fentanyl and heroin has been a factor in many overdose deaths in Maryland and throughout the country. Maciarello also thanked the citizens of Wicomico County and Safe Streets Prosecutor, Richard J. Brueckner Jr., who prosecuted this case.
