SALISBURY, Md. - A Salisbury man has been sentenced to a total of 28 years in prison for drug and assault convictions.
Darius Ahmaad Deal was convicted Sept. 9 and sentenced by Wicomico Circuit Court Judge. S. James Sarbanes to 20 years suspend all but eight years in the Division Corrections for Fentanyl possession with intent to distribute..
On Sept. 30, Wicomico Circuit Court Judge Karen M. Dean sentenced Deal to an additional 20 years in prison for his conviction of first-degree assault.
Prosecutors said that on Dec. 28, 2021, an argument between Deal and his wife turned violent. During the argument, Deal threw his wife onto a bed by her neck. Deal then got on top of her and began strangling her.
Prosecutors said there were six children in the home at the time of the assault. The victim’s 12-year-old child intervened to stop the assault.
Wicomico County State’s Attorney Jamie Dykes said, “I am confident that Judge Dean’s sentence will serve as a deterrent to those who engage in domestic violence, especially in the presence of children. The trauma that victims and their children endure leaves a legacy of destruction that can last generations. I am grateful for the bravery of the victim, her children, and verdict of the jury.”