Leonardtown, MD – Over the past several months, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Vice/Narcotics Division has utilized various investigative tactics to include undercover drug buys while identifying numerous drug dealers throughout St. Mary’s County. Through these investigations, the Vice/Narcotics Division has obtained numerous criminal charges and have also obtained search and seizure warrants for various residences and vehicles of identified drug dealers. The purpose of this operation is to dismantle drug networks by locating and arresting wanted individuals and executing search and seizure warrants upon the bodies, vehicles, and residences of drug distributors. Assisting with this operation were members of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Vice/Narcotics Division, with the assistance of the Emergency Services Team, K9, Patrol Division, Narcotics Support Team Members, officers from the DEA HIDTA Task Force (DEA Group 48) and the Annapolis Office of the FBI.
Detectives have been working the last several months on a multi-jurisdictional investigation involving counterfeit prescriptions to obtain Promethazine-Codeine. Alexis Santos aka Londell Andre Malone, 24 of Washington, DC was arrested after passing a counterfeit prescription for Promethazine-Codeine Syrup. Suspect Santos fled the scene on foot before eventually being apprehended. A search of Suspect Stantos’ vehicle revealed 20 Oxycodone 5mg pills (street value $100), 4 Oxycodone 10mg pills (street value $40.00), 22 individually wrapped pieces of suspected crack cocaine (street value nearly $1,000), 2 Promethazine-Codeine Syrup bottles and a quantity of suspected marijuana (Street value $50.00).
Also, in the vehicle was a list of approximately 17 names and personal information which were being utilized to fraudulently obtain Promethazine-Codeine. Suspect Santos originally provided false information regarding his identity and was positively identified by his fingerprints. Once his identity was confirmed, it was discovered he had additional open warrants for prescription fraud crimes. Search warrants executed on Suspect Santos’ phones revealed his involvement in the distribution of controlled dangerous substances. Further, Santos was linked to an additional group of individuals who were also fraudulently obtaining Promethazine-Codeine Syrup with false documents. Pharmacy documents show the groups of suspects were involved in fraudulently obtaining numerous bottles of Promethazine-Codeine Syrup throughout the State of Maryland, State of Virginia, State of New York and State of New Jersey.