The Circuit Court for Queen Anne’s County convicted Melissa Brown, 43 of Seaford, Delaware, of Distribution of Oxycodone on February 26, 2019. The case was prosecuted by Michael “Mick” Cuches, Deputy State’s Attorney.

On July 13, 2018 at approximately 2:00 am, Trooper Justin Daigle of the Maryland State Police was on routine patrol traveling south on Duhamel Corner Road approaching the stop sign at the intersection of Duhamel Corner Road and MD Route 302. Once he was at the stop sign he saw a silver honda car with Delaware registration driving on the shoulder of the roadway with its right turn signal activate. The car continued past Duamel Corner and came to a stop of the shoulder of Route 302. Trooper Daigle pulled behind the car to check on the welfare of the driver. When he approached the car he noticed a male driver and a female in the front passenger seat. Trooper Daigle approached the driver, later identified by his Delaware identification card as Dennis Parker.  He noticed that the driver had bloodshot, glassy, and watery eyes and that his speech was slurred. Trooper Daigle learned through his dispatcher that Mr. Parker’s license status was revoked and suspended and the vehicle was not registered. Mr. Parker admitted that he was knowingly driving on a revoked and suspended license and that the vehicle was not insured.

Trooper Daigle then requested the passenger’s driver’s license. She provided a Colorado driver’s license identifying herself as Melissa Lynn Brown. Trooper Daigle then began to question the occupants further. Mr. Parker stated he was taking Ms. Brown to her house at 108 Duhamel Corner Road from his house in Marydel and that due to his vehicle having no brakes other than using the emergency brake, he could not stop to turn onto Duhamel Corner Road.

A subsequent K-9 open air sniff of the vehicle resulted in the immediate positive alert to the odor of narcotics. A probable cause of the vehicle was then performed. In the vehicle’s center console a blue cut plastic straw containing suspected cocaine and one red plastic pill grinder containing yellow crushed pulls, suspected Diazepam, was located. During the search Trooper Daigle noticed that the carpet on the driver’s side floor below the gear shifter appeared to have been tampered with. He pulled the carpet back and observed another cut plastic straw with yellow residue as well as a gold metallic pill holder, with a suspected acetaminophen and oxycodone hydrochloride pill inside. Inside of Ms. Brown’s purse he located a prescription bottle for Acetaminophen and Oxycodone filled on July 11, 2018 but completely empty.

Mr. Parker was then asked to perform a series of standardized field sobriety tests which he agreed to attempt. He performed them unsatisfactorily and was arrested for driving while revoked and suspended, possession of illegal drugs, and driving under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance.

Mr. Parker was advised of his Miranda warnings and stated that he received the pills found in the car from Ms. Brown.

Ms. Brown was also arrested for possession of a controlled dangerous substance. Ms. Brown were then transported to the Maryland State Police Barracks in Centreville. Once at the barrack a female officer was requested to conduct a search of Ms. Brown. Sgt. Amelia Vansant of the Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff responded and performed a search of Ms. Brown’s person which revealed a crack pipe with suspected crack cocaine residue in Ms. Brown’s bra. Further, 4 oxycodone pills, 4 diazepam pills, and one glassine baggie with suspected heroin were found in Ms. Brown’s underwear.  Trooper First Class Dustin Pope advised Ms. Brown of her Miranda rights and questioned her about the drugs that were recovered. Ms. Brown stated “I have bills, so yeah I sell sometimes.”

Ms. Brown was charged with possession of the controlled dangerous substances and distribution of a narcotic, to wit oxycodone. The drugs were sent to the Maryland State Police crime laboratory where they were tested. In addition to confirming that the suspected items were in fact cocaine, heroin, oxycodone, and diazepam, one of the straws contained residue of Fentanyl and Methamphetamine.

Michael “Mick” Cuches handled the prosecution of Ms. Brown and on February 26, 2019 she was convicted by the Honorable Thomas G. Ross in the Circuit Court for Queen Anne’s County of the top count, felony Distribution of a Narcotic, to wit: Oxycodone. Ms. Brown was sentenced to fifteen years of incarceration in the Division of Corrections with all suspended except for eighteen months to be served at the Queen Anne’s County Detention Center, followed by five years of supervised probation. She was also fined Five Thousand Dollars, with all but One Thousand Dollars suspended, assessed court costs, and, among other conditions, ordered to attend and successfully complete mental health treatment as directed by her supervising agent, and to submit to, successfully complete and pay any required costs for evaluation, testing, treatment education as directed by her supervising agent.