QUAIRE JOHNSON SENTENCED TO 13 YEARS FOR GUN AND DRUG OFFENSES

On Friday, January 12, 2024, Quaire T. Johnson, age 30, of Magnolia, Delaware, was sentenced to serve 13 years in the Division of Corrections for his conviction on the charges of possession with intent to distribute a fake controlled dangerous substance, possession of a non-controlled substance, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. 

He was found guilty by a jury of his peers after a trial in the Worcester County Circuit Court on August 9, 2023. The Honorable Beau H. Oglesby presided over the case and imposed the sentence.

The charges arose as a result of police conducting a traffic stop on a vehicle for a registration violation in the area of Worcester Highway near Bishopville Road in May of 2021. 

While speaking with the occupants of the vehicle, one of whom was identified as Quaire Johnson, deputies of the Worcester County Sheriff's Office detected the odor of cannabis coming from the inside of the vehicle. 

Deputies searched the vehicle and located 234 individual wax folds of suspected heroin-fentanyl, trace amounts of cannabis, a loaded pistol, ammunition and firearm magazines. Laboratory testing of the contents of the wax folds by the Maryland State Police confirmed that the substance was similar in appearance to a heroin-fentanyl mixture but was not actually a controlled dangerous substance as initially suspected. 

Further investigation revealed that Johnson was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony conviction in Delaware. Johnson was arrested on scene and charged accordingly.

Worcester County State's Attorney Kris Heiser thanked the Worcester County Sheriff's Office for their proactive drug and gun enforcement efforts which led to the seizure of the firearm in this case. Heiser also commended Assistant State's Attorney Joaquin Cabrera who prosecuted the case.