2K Fentanyl Pills, Gun, Cash Seized Following Traffic Stop: Police

WHEATON, MD — A Silver Spring man faces drug distribution charges after a traffic stop by Montgomery County Police led to the seizure of nearly 4,000 fentanyl pills, cash and a gun from the suspect's car and home.

Markus Carter, 20, of Silver Spring, was arrested Feb. 27 in the aftermath of a traffic stop about 3:15 p.m. Officers stopped a silver Mercedes sedan in the 12300 block of Georgia Avenue for a traffic infraction. The driver was Carter, who was in violation of his learner’s permit, a police news release said.

There were two other occupants of the vehicle, a 20-year-old and an 18-year-old male, who police did not identify and did not charge.

Officers found 250 suspected fentanyl pills and other items indicative of drug distribution inside the vehicle, the police report said. On Carter’s person, officers located more fentanyl pills, over $1,100 cash and a loaded .45 caliber handgun.

A search warrant executed at Carter’s residence that night turned up an additional 1,800 suspected fentanyl pills in that location, in addition to more cash and other items used in drug distribution.

Carter was charged with multiple criminal offenses, including illegal possession of a firearm, and possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute. He is being held without bond at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit.

Last year, more than 80 Montgomery County residents died from drug overdoses, said Police Chief Marcus G. Jones, and so far in 2023 more than 20 overdose deaths have been recorded.

“The Drug Enforcement Administration frequently warns ‘one pill can kill,’ Jones said in a statement that praised the work of Fourth District officers. “Here, we have one arrest with over 2,000 pills seized. We never will be able to truly quantify the number of lives that were saved as a direct result of this traffic stop, but without question, this stop saved lives in our community. Fentanyl overdoses, not to mention the violence associated with drug sales and firearms, are a danger to our entire community, and I commend the work of our 4th District officers and Special Investigations Detectives on their work in this case.”

This investigation was an effort of the Montgomery County Department of Police under the Maryland Criminal Intelligence Network, which provides grant money and strategic support to identify, disrupt, and dismantle criminal organizations through inter-agency collaboration and data sharing.