Between February and April 2024 Investigators with the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office Street Levels Crime Unit (SLCU) investigated Zachary Paul Rhoades who police said was allegedly distributing heroin and fentanyl in the North East area of Cecil County, Maryland.
SLCU Investigators were able to obtain a court ordered search warrant for his residence and vehicle. On the morning of April 25, 2024, those search warrants were executed, and various illegal items were seized from both locations according to police.
Officials said at the conclusion of the search warrant $234.00 in cash, 30.7 grams of suspected heroin/fentanyl, 18.1 grams of suspected cocaine, eight Alprazolan pills, a loaded Glock 17 9mm handgun, various rounds of ammunition, and drug paraphernalia were seized. The approximate street value of the illegal narcotics is estimated at $2,700.00 according to police.
Rhoades was charged with various crimes including 4 counts of Controlled Dangerous Substance (CD.S. possession with intent to distribute not cannabis, 4 counts of CDS possession not cannabis, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl/heroin, felon in possession of a firearm, firearm possession drug trafficking, as well as various other charges. Rhoades was reviewed by a District Court commissioner and held without bond.
Detective Nathan Cryder served as lead investigator for this case. The Street Level Crime Unit of the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office focuses on drug level distribution cases and firearm offenses.