Suspected Heroin Trafficker Indicted After Harford Probe

BEL AIR, MD — A Baltimore drug dealer described as a "major player" in the heroin industry has been arrested after an investigation by the Harford County Narcotics Task Force. Officials said they conducted a lengthy probe into the suspected heroin dealer after he was linked to multiple nonfatal overdoses in Harford and surrounding counties. Authorities said they found nearly a kilogram of heroin in the vehicle and residences linked to him.

Karon Peoples, 23, of Baltimore, was indicted on federal charges of possession with intent to distribute heroin on Jan. 4, officials said.

The indictment followed local charges of possession with intent to distribute, possession of a large amount of drugs and possession of drugs other than marijuana filed by the Harford County Narcotics Task Force on Dec. 7, 2017.

The narcotics task force, which includes officers from municipal, state and county law enforcement agencies in Harford County, developed probable cause and was granted a search warrant for the vehicle and two residences associated with Peoples in December, the Harford County Sheriff's Office reported. The residences were in the 6000 block of Frankford Avenue and the unit block of West Lexington Street in Baltimore.

Officers said they found the following while executing the warrants:

• 70 grams of suspected heroin in Peoples' vehicle
• 900 grams of heroin and $405,000 in cash on West Lexington Street; heroin street value: $110,000.
• Kilogram wrapper

"This is a significant arrest and seizure of heroin and cash from a major player in the city that is trafficking and dealing this dangerous and deadly drug to our citizens here in Harford County," Captain Lee Dunbar said in a statement. Dunbar is the commander of the Harford County Narcotics Task Force (HCNTF).

"The men and women of the HCNTF will continue to remain on the front lines of this fight and will continue to track down those dealers, no matter where they reside, that are selling this poison to our citizens," Dunbar said. "Our mission is to get these dealers, these killers, off our streets and for a very long time.”

Dunbar said that the seizure "will definitely disrupt Peoples' operations and hopefully save lives."

Peoples was arrested Dec. 8, 2017, and released that day on $50,000 bail. He is slated to appear in Baltimore City District Court on Jan. 25, court records show.

Photo courtesy of the Harford County Sheriff's Office.