Detectives searching a home in the 47000 block of Sewell Road in Lexington Park on Wednesday turned up suspected fentanyl, suspected synthetic cannabinoids known as K2, and a cache of firearms and ammunition, including a loaded .22-caliber rifle with a round already in the chamber. Two people who were inside, Thomas Emanuel Gross, 40, and Shameka Levae Harrod, 34, were arrested and now face a list of drug and weapons charges.
The search and seizure warrants were carried out by detectives from the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division, according to St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office
. Investigators recovered a Winchester Model 37A shotgun along with 12-gauge shotgun shells, boxes of .22-caliber ammunition, and the loaded rifle, in addition to the suspected fentanyl and K2, as reported by
The BayNet
.
Gross and Harrod were both taken into custody at the scene. The station's report notes deputies transported the pair to the St. Mary's County Detention and Rehabilitation Center, where they are awaiting bond hearings.
Charges Stack Up for Drugs and Guns
Both Gross and Harrod face multiple controlled dangerous substance and firearms-related offenses, according to the sheriff's office. The charges include possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia, per the same account.
They were also charged with possession of a shotgun and rifle following a conviction for a disqualifying crime, according to WJLA.
A Second Lexington Park Search Weeks Earlier
The Sewell Road case follows a separate search in the same community. On Sept. 29, detectives from the same Criminal Investigations Division served search and seizure warrants at a residence on Chapman Drive in Lexington Park, as part of an investigation into suspected drug activity, according to Southern Maryland News / The Recorder. That search turned up suspected drugs, $3,335 in cash, and a loaded, unserialized .40-caliber handgun, the outlet reported.
It is not established whether the two cases are connected in any way.
Sheriff's Office Seeks Tips From the Community
The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information about the Sewell Road case, or about criminal activity in general, to come forward. Tips can be submitted through the SMCSO app, which is free to download from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, or online at http://www.firstsheriff.com/tips.
Residents can also text tips anonymously to 847411 through the Tip411 system, starting the message with the word SMCSO followed by a space and the tip, or call Crime Solvers at 301-475-3333 without giving their name. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward if their information leads to an arrest. For non-emergencies, the sheriff's office can be reached at 301-475-8008, while 911 remains the number for emergencies.
The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office, which is based in St. Mary's County, Maryland, traces its roots back to 1637 and is recognized as the oldest continuously operated sheriff's office in the United States.
