Pleas accepted for drug offenses

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

All the cases were being prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Lisa Ridge, who handles all felony drug cases for Calvert County.

Huntingtown resident Nathan Gagnon, 21, who stole hundreds of prescription pills to resell while employed at Prince Frederick Rite-Aid, pleaded guilty to one count of theft over $500 and one count of possession with intent to distribute diazepam on July 7. Gagnon’s 16-count indictment included the possession with intent to distribute the drugs Hydrocodone, Suboxone, Xanax and Codeine, and he is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 12.

Broomes Island resident Deborah Pearson, 50, had three separate indictments with drug charges of distribution and manufacturing stemming from arrests in October 2007, according to court records.

Pearson pleaded guilty to distribution of a narcotic from an Oct. 18 incident when she arranged for the purchase of a quantity of Oxycodone pills, charging documents stated. She also pleaded guilty on June 13 to the one count of manufacturing and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance in a second indictment, court records state, and she did not make a plea in the third case of manufacturing and distribution of drugs.

Prince Frederick resident Judith R. Dickerson, 27, pleaded guilty to distribution of marijuana on June 9 and was sentenced at that time to 90 days in jail, serving 30 consecutive weekends and given four years of supervised probation afterwards, according to court records. Dickerson pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana on March 31 and was given a month of probation for the offense, court records state, and also pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana in 2005.

Joyce M. Smallwood, 61, currently of Chesapeake Beach, pleaded guilty on June 23 to being a common nuisance: distribution of narcotics, charges that were brought about from a narcotics investigation at an Empire Court residence in Dunkirk in December 2007, according to charging documents.

Smallwood, who was being prescribed Oxycontin, had an empty Oxycontin bottle that was filled the day of the search warrant, but the pills could not be accounted for, charging documents state. Five Oxycontins were found taped to the bottom of a dresser drawer and cocaine was also found in the residence, according to charging documents. Smallwood is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 22 at 10 a.m.

Marvin Ray Odell, 19, grandson of Smallwood and a resident at the Empire Court residence pleaded guilty to distribution of drugs on May 18, Ridge said. Odell served four days in jail and was given two years of supervised probation, according to court records.

John Lee Baxter, 27, of North Beach pleaded guilty to possession of narcotics with the intent to distribute as a result of evidence collected during the search warrant on the Empire Court residence. During the search, a deputy saw Baxter throw some objects to the right side of the room, and then he attempted to conceal something under the dresser, charging documents state. The deputy found a plastic baggie containing 7.6 grams of rock cocaine under the dresser and a large baggie containing 8.5 grams of what was concluded to be marijuana, on the right side of the room, according to charging documents. Baxter is scheduled to be sentenced July 14 at 10 a.m.