ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 8, 2008) –Governor Martin O’Malley and Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, joined by Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Terrence B. Sheridan and other officials, today hosted a ceremony honoring the efforts of four Maryland state troopers and their K-9 partner who made a record recovery of heroin during a traffic stop in Cecil County earlier this week.
In a State House ceremony, Governor O’Malley and Lt. Governor Brown presented Governor’s Citations to Sergeant Daniel W. Fairburn, Trooper First Class Howard D. Kennard, Trooper First Class C. Michael Conner, Trooper First Class Joseph M. Catalano and his K-9 partner “Bruno.” The Troopers, all members of the Maryland State Police Proactive Criminal Enforcement (PACE) Team, were honored for recovering 32 pounds of heroin during a traffic stop on I-95 near North East. This is the largest amount of heroin recovered during a traffic stop in the history of the Maryland State Police.
“Public safety is the most important priority of any government. Today, I am proud to honor Sergeant Daniel W. Fairburn, Trooper First Class Howard D. Kennard, Trooper First Class C. Michael Conner, Trooper First Class Joseph M. Catalano and his K-9 partner ‘Bruno’ in their commitment to keeping our communities safe, ” said Governor O’Malley.
“The action of these troopers is indicative of the dedicated efforts performed by members of the Maryland State Police each day as they work diligently to protect our citizens,” Colonel Sheridan said. “We are committed to interrupting the flow of illegal guns and drugs into Maryland as we work with our partners in law enforcement to reduce violent crime. I personally thank the members of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their assistance with this investigation.”
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said, “Vigilant state and local law enforcement officers often are in the best position to observe suspicious conduct and take necessary action to catch criminals and protect public safety. Thanks to the exceptional work of the Maryland State Police PACE Team, many dangerous criminals have been caught and large quantities of illegal drugs have been seized and destroyed before they reached the streets.”
Just before 9:00 a.m. on February 5, 2008, TFC Kennard was patrolling northbound I-95 in Cecil County when he observed a speeding 2003 Dodge Caravan that was also following too close. After stopping the van, the trooper made several observations that indicated criminal activity may be underway, prompting him to call for TFC Catalano and his drug dog “Bruno.” Sgt. Fairburn, a team supervisor, and TFC Conner also responded to assist.
The drug dog scanned the van and made a positive alert. Based on probable cause, the trooper searched the van. An aftermarket hidden compartment was found built into the engine firewall. Inside the hidden compartment, troopers found 32 pounds of heroin wrapped in plastic. The heroin has an estimated street value of $4.4 million.
The driver of the van was arrested and charged with importation of heroin and related charges. State Police contacted officials from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Attorney’s Office who agreed to prosecute this case federally.
Members of the State Police Proactive Criminal Enforcement Team (PACE) daily patrol Maryland highways interdicting and apprehending fugitives, drug smugglers, illegal guns, and other criminals. In 2007, team members made 132 criminal arrests, 17 of whom were fugitives. They recovered almost two pounds of heroin, 222 pounds of cocaine, 409 pounds of marijuana, and 30 guns, three of which were fully-automatic machine guns.
February 8, 2008 |
|---|