DELAWARE MAN FOUND GUILTY AND SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS WITH ALL BUT 8 YEARS SUSPENDED (5 YEARS MANDATORY MINIMUM) FOR ASSAULT AND DRUG OFFENSES

Wicomico County, MD - On February 3, 2025, Isaiah Phillips, a 35 year old man from Frankford, Delaware, pleaded guilty to one (1) count of Second-Degree Assault and one (1) count of Possession of a Large Amount of Morphine in the Circuit Court for Wicomico County before the Honorable S. James Sarbanes.

Sentencing was deferred until March 14, 2025, when Phillips was sentenced to twenty-five (25) years of incarceration with all but eight (8) years being suspended, of which five (5) years is a mandatory minimum sentence without parole.

These charges stem from an incident on December 9, 2023, where a Deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office attempted to make contact with Phillips, who was in the driver's seat of a vehicle.

Upon observing the Deputy, Phillips placed the vehicle in reverse and accelerated toward the Deputy's patrol vehicle. Phillips then fled from police and discarded items during the pursuit.

Once Phillips was taken into custody, Deputies located a large amount of morphine along his flight path.

Wicomico County State's Attorney (SA) Jamie L. Dykes stated, "Illicit drug dealing wreaks havoc on this community through the damage these drugs do and through the secondary crimes the trade gives rise to. In a time when many appear to have accepted the illicit drug scourge as normal, my Office will continue to prosecute these dangerous criminals."

SA Dykes thanked the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office for their work in this investigation. SA Dykes also thanked Senior Assistant State's Attorney, Patrizia J. Coletta, who prosecuted this case.