Heroin Dealer Linked To 9 Fatal Overdoses Sentenced

BALTIMORE, MD — A Baltimore heroin dealer linked to 27 overdoses has been sentenced to federal prison. The investigation that led to his conviction and 10-year prison sentence originated in Harford County.

Karon Elijah Peoples, 24, admitted he helped distribute between 9 and 10 kilograms of heroin involved in multiple overdoses, including nine that were fatal. Peoples supplied significant quantities of heroin to users throughout Maryland who traveled to Baltimore City to purchase the drugs, according to his plea agreement.

Now, he will serve a 10-year prison sentence followed by five years of probation for his role in the heroin conspiracy, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland reported Tuesday.

The Harford County Narcotics Task Force — which includes officers from municipal, state and county law enforcement agencies — launched the investigation into Peoples in 2017 after linking him to multiple nonfatal overdoses in Harford and surrounding counties.

Law enforcement made undercover drug buys as part of the investigation, officials reported. In addition, the task force was granted a search warrant for Peoples' home at 6114 Frankford Avenue (across the street from Monrovia Elementary School), his stash location at an apartment at 39 West Lexington Street and the 2017 Honda Accord he used to distribute heroin, according to his plea agreement.

Officials said they found these items in the searches:

• 900 grams of heroin
• $405,156 in cash in a blue checkered Louis Vuitton bag
• Money counter
• Rolex watch
• Spoons and scissors with drug residue
• Digital scales
• 68 grams of heroin in Peoples' vehicle
• Corner cut bags
• 49 cellular phones

Cell phones were key. A court-authorized search of the phones revealed hundreds of text messages between Peoples and his supplier as well as Peoples and his heroin customers, according to his plea agreement. The texts established that Peoples was involved in the heroin conspiracy from May 2015 to January 2018.

Federal, state and local law enforcement officials ran searches of the phone records and found links to 27 overdose victims who had arranged by phone call or text to buy heroin from Peoples. The victims lived in Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Of the 27 overdose victims identified by the phone probe, there were 18 who survived; some of them were given naloxone by paramedics, the plea agreement states. Nine individuals who contacted Peoples to arrange the purchase of heroin subsequently died, officials said.

"Heroin dealers like Karon Peoples sell death and despair. Heroin is one of the leading causes of death in Maryland — and many victims are teenagers,” Maryland U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur said in a statement Tuesday after the sentencing. "We will continue to work with our local, state and federal partners to attack this problem from all sides to reduce overdose deaths. Federal defendants, like Karon Peoples, face stiff federal sentences, and there is no parole in the federal system."

• First 24/7 Crisis Hotline Established in Harford County
• Suspected Heroin Trafficker Indicted After Harford Probe
• Maryland Overdose Deaths: Fentanyl, Cocaine Fatalities Rising
• To Combat Heroin, Harford Sheriff Unveils H.O.P.E. House

Where to Get Help In Harford County

Harford County recently launched a 24/7 hotline to connect residents to with behavioral health professionals who can link them to behavioral health, mental health and addiction services. Call 800-NEXT-STEP (800-639-8783) for assistance. Those calling outside Harford County can call 410-874-0711 to be connected to the Harford Crisis Center.

Marylanders grappling with a substance use disorder can find help at BeforeItsTooLateMD.org, which is a statewide effort to address addiction and help people find pathways to recovery.

People can call 211 and "1" to access Maryland Crisis Connect to get connected with resources. Marylanders can also text their zip code to 898-211 or TXT-211; or chat online with state health officials to locate crisis services.

Those seeking treatment for addiction can also contact Addiction Connections Resource at 443-417-7810. The Jarrettsville-based nonprofit helps people navigate options for assistance, from therapists to halfway houses to treatment centers.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration also offers a tool to find treatment centers.

There are Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings available locally as well as Nar-Anon and Al-Anon for family members.

@Harford_Sheriff say Karon Peoples was a player in flooding streets with opioids. How they caught up with him, and the lavish lifestyle he was leading, on @cbsbaltimore #WJZ at 6:30https://t.co/4do2bpmnRZ pic.twitter.com/Jq4VMb4l5L
— Jonathan McCall (@JonathanMcCall) January 23, 2018

Photo of items recovered by the Harford County Narcotics Task Force from Karon Peoples courtesy of the Harford County Sheriff's Office.