Fentanyl, Cocaine Dealer From Hyattsville Pleads Guilty To Trafficking

HYATTSVILLE, MD — Garrison Thomas, 41, of Hyattsville has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

According to his guilty plea, on Dec. 27, 2022, Thomas was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by Prince George's officers for having expired Virginia registration tags. As officers walked up to the vehicle, they detected the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle and asked the driver and Thomas to exit the vehicle.

Thomas was asked to put his hands on top of the car and as an officer attempted to pat him down, Thomas started fighting with the officer. During the struggle, Thomas slipped out of his coat and ran from the scene. Officers chased him while another officer picked up Thomas’ coat and found a 9mm pistol loaded with approximately 12 rounds of 9mm ammunition, according to the plea agreement.

Thomas was caught and arrested. In the car, officers found a magazine loaded with 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition in the vehicle and a digital scale with suspected cocaine residue. A search of Thomas recovered approximately $328 in cash, approximately 1.138 grams of para-fluorofentanyl; an open plastic bag corner containing approximately 4.840 grams of crack cocaine; two knotted plastic bag corners containing approximately 2.906 grams of powder cocaine, and approximately .545 grams of loose powder and crack cocaine, according to a police report.

Thomas faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.