Havre de Grace, Maryland, has found itself at the center of a drug distribution investigation following multiple arrests at a local burger joint. Ace News Today reported that in September 2024, Harford County detectives began investigating the Abbey Burger restaurant following service calls and anonymous tips about drug usage and sales on the premises.

As the Harford County Sheriff’s Office conveyed, it was the employees who, while serving customers and flipping burgers, were also observed partaking in what appeared to be drug sales and usage. A particular employee even sold cocaine to an undercover officer. During the subsequent months, on five different occasions, cocaine was distributed to undercover officers inside the establishment.

Search warrants led to further incriminating discoveries. In January, upon raiding the Abbey Burger and the residence of suspect Michael Wade, investigators found enough cocaine and paraphernalia to suggest an intent to distribute alongside U.S. currency marked from drug transactions. Inside the Abbey Burger, they also recovered drugs held by employees or in their belongings.

The individuals netted in the arrests include Michael Wade and Markeshia Freeman, both of Aberdeen, who face multiple drug-related charges, according to reporting from WMAR2 News. Tracey McCoy-Soper, Heather Graham, Tyrece Exum, and William Carter received summonses for drug possession. These events highlight the ongoing challenges faced by communities grappling with the blight of drug trafficking within seemingly innocuous hometown establishments.

The Harford County Sheriff's Office encourages residents to report suspected drug activities anonymously to the Harford County Drug Task Force at 410-836-7788.