Two Middle River Men Charged in Marijuana Smuggling Operation

Two Middle River men are among the 15 people facing charges after a two-year drug smuggling investigation that spanned from California to Maryland, the Harford County Sheriff's Office announced Wednesday.

The Harford County Task Force filed charges against 15 individuals—from Bel Air, Middle River, Havre de Grace, Aberdeen, White Marsh, Nottingham, Towson, Edgewood and California—after extensive operations that included wire-tapping and undercover police work, the sheriff's office said.

In addition to the arrests, the investigation led to the seizure of 140 pounds of marijuana, 20 guns, 14 vehicles and more than $140,000 in cash, police said.

Tips from citizens were critical, according to the sheriff.

“Drug investigations typically begin because someone has the wherewithal to make a call and give us a tip," Sheriff Jesse Bane said in a prepared statement.

Two tips, one in 2010 and another in 2012, "linked two vital pieces of this investigation," the sheriff's office stated. The tips were received by the Harford County Task Force, which includes the Havre de Grace Police Department, Aberdeen Police Department, Bel Air Police Department and the Harford County State's Attorney's Office, working together to address high-level trafficking and homeland security issues. 

In 2010, the task force learned that Dwight Narcis of Aberdeen was allegedly dealing drugs and in 2012, a tip came that alleged Reinaldo Rodriguez, 37, of Abingdon, was also distributing drugs, according to police.

"Not all tips work out, and as frustrating as the wait is...it may take months for that one tip to pay off. But in this case it did," Bane said. “Cases like this demonstrate the power of citizen involvement and how one phone call can help to effectively dismantle a drug operation."

Undercover officers purchased marijuana from both Narcis and Rodriguez "on several occasions," police said, and alleged they were "multiple-pound dealers with a distribution network both in and around Harford County."

As a result of their undercover work, police said they established probable cause and obtained permission from the Harford County courts to wiretap Narcis and Rodriguez's cell phones.

The initial two wiretaps led officers to two other alleged dealers, William Marshall Edwards, 33, of Joppa, and Allen Olaide Fadiora, 27, of Nottingham. Edwards and Fadiora were charged with selling multiple pounds of marijuana in Baltimore City, as well as Frederick, Harford and Baltimore counties, police said.

The wiretaps also revealed that two Middle River men were flying from BWI to Oakland, CA, to meet a Bel Air man, Bryan George Showalter, 25, who allegedly arranged for them to pick up "multiple pounds of high-grade marijuana," and return to Maryland with the goods via two rental cars, police said.

Police said that Showalter and three others were interdicted by members of the Harford County Task Force at a Middle River residence in October 2012, and 57 pounds of marijuana contained in suitcases was seized at that time.

Showalter, who has an address on Bentley Circle in Bel Air as well as in Emeryville, CA, was charged with transporting marijuana across state lines and possession with intent to distribute.

William Riggin Russell, 26, of Emeryville, CA, and Middle River residents Goutumm Jayant Karapurkar, 25, and Brian David Bell, 26, face the same charges, according to the sheriff's office. Bell's home was where the seizure occurred, police said.

As a result of that investigation, detectives also were granted 28 search and seizure warrants, which led to the charging of seven additional suspects:

• Terry Head, 33, of Edgewood; possession with intent to distribute.
• Cody Adam McPherson, 21, of Towson; possession with intent to distribute.
• Kason Wise Allah Stephens, 35, of Baltimore; possession with intent to distribute, intent to distribute large amount.
• James Edward Bryant Jr., 39, of Edgewood; possession with intent to distribute.
• Frank Henry Buck, 36, of White Marsh; possession with intent to distribute narcotics and marijuana, illegal possession of a firearm.
• Adrian Lamar Goodwin, 26, of Aberdeen; possession with intent to distribute narcotics and marijuana, possession of a firearm while engaged in drug distribution activity.
• Anthony Rashaw Brooks, 33, of Havre De Grace; possession with intent to distribute.

Harford County worked with Frederick and Baltimore counties in addition to Baltimore City and the DEA in Oakland, CA, according to police.

“Drug operations know no boundaries," Bane said.