Multi-Million-Dollar Heroin Ring Member Receives Prison Term

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ANNAPOLIS, MD — Another player in a drug ring that brought millions of dollars of heroin and cocaine to Anne Arundel County has been sentenced to prison.

Louis Valentine, 33, of New York, pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to possess with an intent to distribute heroin and illegal possession of a regulated firearm in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

“We will continue to send the message to drug dealers to forget about ‘setting up shop’ in Anne Arundel County,” said State’s Attorney Wes Adams in a statement.

Valentine ran a distribution center for convicted drug trafficker Andres Fernandez out of a Glen Burnie hotel room. Valentine sold heroin from the hotel, authorities said, then the money from the sales was routed back to Fernandez.

Investigators found a stash location in Glen Burnie where the kilogram quantities of drugs were broken down and packaged for sale on the street. The heroin from the stash location was used to resupply the hotel distribution center.

Fernandez is considered to be the leader of an Anne Arundel County-based, million-dollar drug operation whose dozen members were indicted in October 2015.

As a result of the investigation, nearly $1 million in assets were seized, including 13 firearms and three vehicles. Additionally, 3.5 kilos of heroin, 394 gel caps of heroin, 1.5 kilos cocaine and an additional 218.35 grams of heroin were taken off of Anne Arundel County streets.

Other suspects indicted on various drug charges are:

• Jessica Blackburn, 28, 514 Crain Hwy. North Suite K, Glen Burnie
• John Thornton III, 41, 1408 Crain Hwy. South Apt. 2, Glen Burnie
• Bernard Mooney, 54, 1408 Crain Hwy. South Apt. 2, Glen Burnie
• Troy William Branch, 21, 6395 Smithy Square Apt. B, Glen Burnie
• Billy Jo Musgrove, 25, 201 Longwood Ave., Glen Burnie
• Brandon Rutter, 28, 615 Lorca Ave., Brooklyn
• Janelle Frances Jones, 24, 963 W. Benning Road, Galesville
• Beth Ann Royston, 31, 109 Saint James Drive, Glen Burnie
• Gerald Mark Snyder, 30, 1317 Race St., Cambridge
• Nicole Marie Snyder, 28, 1317 Race St., Cambridge
• Amber Jean Garland, 25, 201 Longwood Ave., Glen Burnie