[October 2, 2015, Bel Air, MD] On Thursday, October 1st 2015 Detectives with the Harford County Task Force received information from a confidential source that a subject in the 400 block of Congress Avenue, Havre de Grace, Maryland was in possession of a large amount of a controlled dangerous substance. Detectives began conducting surveillance in the area and observed the suspect in a vehicle with California registration plates. On several occasions, Detectives observed the suspect exit the vehicle and enter an apartment building on Congress Avenue.
Detectives later observed the suspect vehicle leave the location and travel to a local business and then return to the area. While on a trip back, to the 400 block of Congress Avenue, Detectives observed the suspect commit several traffic violations.
Before Detectives could conduct a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle, the suspect parked and exited the vehicle in an expedient manor. Detectives made contact with the suspect who was later identified as Servonte Rhamone Smith, male born in 1989. While on scene, Detectives could smell an overwhelming odor of burnt marijuana emanating from his person. Smith was subsequently placed under arrest.
As Detectives began a search of the suspect vehicle, they observed an open package on the passenger’s side back seat. Upon opening the vehicle’s door, an odor of burnt marijuana emanated from the inside of the vehicle. Inside the open package, Detectives located what appeared to be two “bricks” or “kilos” (kilograms/2.2 pounds per kilogram) of a controlled dangerous substance. The packages were two vacuum-sealed plastic bags wrapped with duct tape that Detectives immediately recognized as being consistent with packaging utilized by drug traffickers.
Smith, the two kilograms of CDS, and the suspect vehicle were transported to the Havre de Grace Police Department to continue the investigation. Detectives later punctured both kilogram packages and observed inside each package a light brown powdery substance suspected to be heroin. A small portion of the substance was removed from each package and field tested. Both tests resulted in a positive reaction for heroin.
As a result of this investigation, follow-up search and seizure warrants were executed at the apartment in the 400 block of Congress Avenue, Havre de Grace, Maryland and at a hotel room in Aberdeen, Maryland. Currency, drug packaging materials, a small amount of marijuana and other related documents were recovered during the execution of these search warrants.
Smith was transported to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center where he was charged with Possession of Heroin, Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Large Amounts of Heroin. Smith is currently being held at the Harford County Detention Center on $200,000 bond. This investigation is still ongoing in an attempt to identify other suspects in this heroin drug trafficking organization.
In an ongoing effort in the fight against the heroin epidemic plaguing our communities, the Task Force is tirelessly pursuing the other members of this heroin trafficking organization in an attempt to bring them to justice for bringing this dangerous and deadly drug into the Harford County communities.
The Harford County Task Force is a highly trained, self-governing, multi-jurisdictional entity with a mission to investigate offenses in the areas of mid to upper level drug trafficking, homeland security, and vice while supporting and facilitating cooperation and coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement. The Harford County Task Force is comprised of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police, Aberdeen Police Department, Bel Air Police Department, Havre de Grace Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Harford County States Attorney’s Office, working together to make Harford County a safer place to live.