Wiretaps Reveal Westminster Man Ran Crack Ring, Sold Cocaine, Plotted Murder: Feds
A Westminster drug dealer who cooked crack, buried drugs in the woods, and ordered a man’s murder is heading to federal prison for more than two decades, authorities announced.
Rodney Gaines, 35, was sentenced to 23 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release on Thursday, July 10, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland said.
Back on April 4, a federal jury convicted Gaines of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and two counts of cocaine distribution.
US District Judge A…
Westminster, DC Drivers Killed In Wrong-Way Crash On I-495 In Fairfax County: State Police
A Maryland woman and a DC man are dead after a wrong-way crash on the Capital Beltway in Northern Virginia, Virginia State Police announced.
Tremayne Gross, 24, of Washington, DC, and Meghan Elizabeth Mathis, 32, of Westminster, were both killed in a head-on crash early Sunday morning, July 6, on I-495 in Fairfax County, according to state police.
Investigators said the crash happened shortly after 2:30 a.m. in the northbound Express Lanes near mile marker 48.
Gross was driving a 2017 Ford Edge southbound in the northbound lanes when he slammed into Mathis’ 2004 Jeep Patriot, police said. …
$22K In Cocaine, Fentanyl Seized During Carroll County Drug Ring Takedown, Officials Say
Two people are behind bars months after investigators uncovered a major drug and firearms operation in Maryland, authorities announced.
Antonio Alfonso Liason, 38, and Jessica Brooke Smith, 47, both of Westminster, were arrested earlier this month, after detectives executed search warrants at six locations across Carroll County and Baltimore City, according to the Carroll County Drug and Firearms Trafficking Task Force.
The takedown followed a six-month-long investigation that targeted the trafficking of large quantities of narcotics in and around the Carroll corridor and surrounding areas,…
Carroll County Drug Ring Busted; Westminster Pair Jailed After SWAT Raids, Sheriff Says
Two alleged drug traffickers are behind bars in Carroll County after a major multi-agency bust that spanned six months and involved SWAT teams, the DEA, and local police from three counties, authorities announced.
Antonio Alfonso Liason, 38, and Jessica Brooke Smith, 47, both of Westminster, were arrested this week, during a sweeping takedown involving search warrants across Carroll County and Baltimore, according to the sheriff's office.
“These search warrants were a result of a joint investigation spanning approximately six months, targeting the distribution of large quantities of illicit…
‘Voices Told Me To Burn It’: Carroll County Arsonist Torches Homes, Faces Prison, Deportation
A Maryland man who admitted to setting a fire that destroyed two homes and a shed told a judge that he only did it because “voices told him to.”
Now, he’s headed to prison.
Milton Salguero-Vargus, 24, was sentenced to 10 years behind bars after pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree arson for the March 2022 fire that tore through a mobile home park on Woodbine Road in Westminster, prosecutors announced on Wednesday, May 21.
According to the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office, the fire began around 2:40 p.m. on March 1, 2022, when firefighters from the Winfield Community Volunt…
Westminster Driver Killed In Head-On Maryland Crash, Woman Airlifted: State Police
A Maryland man was killed and a woman was airlifted with serious injuries after a head-on crash in Carroll County, authorities announced.
Richard Snyder, 78, of Westminster, died at the hospital after the crash, which happened around 2:07 p.m. on Sunday, March 16, on Maryland Route 97 near Liberty Road, according to Maryland State Police.
Investigators say that Lydia Hansen, 29, of Baltimore, was driving a Volkswagen sedan south on Route 97 when, for unknown reasons, she collided head-on with Snyder’s Chevrolet truck.
Snyder was rushed to Carroll Hospital by paramedics, where he was later …
Westminster Mom, Unborn Baby Die, Leaving Behind Dad, 2 Children: 'Heartbreaking'
An unexpected tragedy struck a family in Carroll County, with the community now rallying for a 34-year-old expectant mother who died, along with her unborn child.
Westminster resident Lauryn Fazenbaker Diehl, 34, and their unborn baby girl, Rowen, passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at Carroll Hospital Center, leaving behind her husband and two young children.
A GoFundMe for the family had raised more than $56,000 as of press time.
A graduate of the Art Institute of York, Lauryn was being remembered in her obituary as a "light to all those around her."
"Her love for the arts show…
Luck Strikes Twice in Maryland: 'Powerball' and 'Bonus Match 5' Winners Rake In $200K In Prizes
If you’re a Maryland lottery player, check those tickets!
This weekend saw a lucky streak with Marylanders raking in a combined $200,000 in draw game winnings, courtesy of Powerball and Bonus Match 5.
In Charles County, a Powerball ticket purchased at NSR Mart in Hughesville matched the numbers 03-21-24-34-46, with a Powerball of 09 for the drawing on Monday, Nov. 11.
The player opted for the Power Play multiplier, which was 3X for that draw, elevating the $50,000 prize to $150,000.
Meanwhile, in Westminster, a Bonus Match 5 ticket sold at the 7-Eleven on Baltimore Boulevard o…
