WCSO Incident: 16 People Charged as a result of a MCIN Operation

Date of Incident:  September 2022

Location:  Multiple locations throughout Wicomico County, Maryland

Suspects:

1. Nizer Perry Barnes (20 years of age)

2. Ferguson Milford (20 years of age)

3. Tyaisha Unique Johnson (26 years of age)

4. Terrence Terrell Gray (41 years of age)

5. Elijah William Hudson (27 years of age)

6. Keeva La Shawn Parker (35 years of age)

7. Jonathan Robert Gray (33 years of age)

8. Keshaun Remir Purnell (24 years of age)

9. Darian Devon Walker (41 years of age)

10. Hubert Rivers (48 years of age)

11. Crystal Yvette Spencer (43 years of age)

12. William Russell Gordy (55 years of age)

13. Santia Shanae Jacobs (34 years of age)

14. Brandon Harlen Hearn (28 years of age)

15. Josiah Artez Townsend (26 years of age)

16. Lee Andrews (41 years of age)

Over the course of the last couple months, the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office Community Action Team has received complaints about open air drug activity taking place.  Through the course of the investigation, 6 search and seizure warrants were authored.  On September 20, 2022, the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office participated in a joint MCIN Operation with the Salisbury City Police Department and the Maryland State Police in an attempt to combat the open-air drug markets. During the operation, a search warrant was served in the 800 block of West Road Salisbury, MD.  While members of law enforcement converged on the property, four subjects fled from the rear of the residence.  All four subjects were located and arrested. While fleeing from police, Ferguson Milford, threw a .25 caliber handgun which was recovered and Nizer Barnes threw cocaine and heroin that was also recovered. As a result of the search warrant Nizer Barnes, Ferguson Milford, Tyasisha Johnson, Terrence Gray, and Elijah Hudson were arrested.

Barnes, Milford, Johnson, and Hudson were charged and released to the Wicomico County Detention Center.  Gray was released on a criminal citation for Trespassing. Barnes, Johnson, and Hudson were released on their own recognizance.  Ferguson is held without bond.

Additionally, a search and seizure warrant was served on Keeva Parker and her vehicle. A search revealed 16.08 grams of cocaine.  Parker was arrested and transferred to the Wicomico County Detention Center. Keeva Parker was released on her own recognizance.

A traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle that resulted in a K-9 scan. The occupants were identified as Keshaun Purnell and Jonathan Gray.  A search of the vehicle revealed a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. Both Gray and Purnell were arrested and charged with handgun related offenses. Gray and Purnell were released on their own recognizance.

A traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle being driven by Darian Walker.  A search of the vehicle revealed 121.02 grams of marijuana packaged in 22 individual bags. Walker was charged via an application for charges and a criminal summons was issued for PWID marijuana. Walker has not been served with the summons.

A traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle that resulted in a K-9 scan. The occupants were identified as Hubert Rivers and Crystal Spencer.  A search of the vehicle revealed a small amount of crack cocaine and paraphernalia. Spencer and Rivers were charged via an application for charges and a criminal summons was issued. Rivers was served with the summons, Spencer has not been served.

A traffic stop was conducted that resulted in a K-9 scan.  The driver was identified as William Gordy.  A search revealed a small amount of crack cocaine and paraphernalia. Gordy was charged via an application for charges and a criminal summons was issued.

A traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle and while it was coming to a stop, the front seat occupant was observed discarding heroin out of the window. The occupants were identified as Josiah Townsend, Brandon Hearn, and Santia Jacobs.  Jacobs provided a false name and was found to have a warrant for her arrest. Townsend and Hearn were issued criminal citations for possession of heroin and released.  Jacobs was served with the warrant and charged via an application. A criminal summons was issued for Jacobs.

On September 22, 2022 a search warrant was served on the person of Lee Andrews.  Andrews was found to possess a small amount of crack cocaine. Andrews was charged on a criminal citation and released.

All subjects mentioned in this press release are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

This investigation was a coordinated effort between the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, Salisbury, Maryland Police Department, and the Maryland State Police Salisbury Barrack under the Maryland Criminal Intelligence Network (MCIN). Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services (GOCCP) provides grant funding and strategic support to MCIN member sites to identify, disrupt, and dismantle criminal organizations through inter-agency collaboration and data sharing to make Maryland safer.

The Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention assisted in the funding of this project. All points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of any Maryland State office or agency.