2 Drug Dealers Convicted In Harford County

BEL AIR, MD — Two drug dealers have been convicted in Harford County, the state's attorney announced Thursday.

One was sentenced to 45 years in jail, with all but 15 years suspended.

“This sentence is a warning to all those who decide to sell heroin and fentanyl in our community,” Harford County State’s Attorney Albert J. Peisinger said in a statement.

Daquan Brown, 25, of Edgewood, was ordered to serve 15 years at the Division of Corrections for distribution of a heroin-fentanyl mix, possession with intent to distribute narcotics and firearm possession with a felony conviction.

His case began with an investigation into a fatal overdose on July 8, 2020, officials said.

Brown's number was listed as "Squirt" in the victim's phone, according to investigators, who suspected he was a drug dealer. An undercover detective texted "Squirt" and arranged to buy $200 worth of heroin, officials said.

Harford County detectives rented a room at the Red Roof Inn in the 2100 block of Emmorton Park Road in Edgewood and conducted surveillance on July 9, 2020, watching as the person later identified as Brown handed the undercover officer a brown napkin holding 23 capsules that were later found to contain a mix of fentanyl and heroin, prosecutors said.

As members of the Harford County Narcotics Task Force tried to take Brown into custody, he ran, throwing about 4.6 grams of cocaine, prosecutors said. When they arrested him and searched his vehicle, authorities said they found a loaded 9 mm semiautomatic handgun under the driver's seat, nearly $650 in cash and various other narcotics.

Because of a prior conviction in Baltimore County, authorities said Brown was prohibited from possessing a handgun; he pleaded guilty to a 2014 carjacking in 2017 in Baltimore County, court records show.

Harford County Circuit Court Judge Diane Adkins-Tobin sentenced Brown to 40 years in jail with all but 15 years suspended after he pleaded guilty Tuesday to the drug and firearm charges. The first five years must be served without the possibility of parole, according to prosecutors. He will also be on five years of supervised probation after he is released.

Adkins-Tobin sentenced another Harford County drug dealer to jail time this week as well, prosecutors said.

Brandon Winkler, 20, of Abingdon, will serve five years in jail for possession with the intent to distribute oxycodone and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime.

He was pulled over April 9 by a deputy for several traffic violations, officials said.

The officer, who had been on routine patrol in Edgewood, detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from the car and saw two large ziplock bags containing marijuana in the vehicle while he was talking to Winkler, prosecutors reported.

A search of the vehicle revealed various other illegal narcotics; nearly $1,800 in cash; a Taser; and a Bersa Piccola 95 .380 handgun, according to the state’s attorney.

Prosecutors said they found oxycodone that had been packaged for distribution in Winkler's residence in Abingdon, where they also discovered additional firearms, ammunition and cash. Court records show Winkler lived in the 2700 block of Parallel Court in Abingdon.

A Ruger MK II pistol with a threaded barrel and a silencer that looked like it would fit his weapon as well as $2,007 in cash were hidden under the mattress in Winkler's bedroom, officials said.

The judge sentenced Winkler Tuesday to 20 years in jail with all but five years suspended. He must serve the sentence at the Division of Corrections without parole and will be on probation for five years upon his release, according to the state's attorney.

“Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, will do everything we can to fight the illegal drug trade," Peisinger said, "including ensuring that drug dealers will spend a significant portion of their lives in jail.”