Drug and Vice Sweep Produces 39 Arrests in St. Mary's

St. Mary's County law enforcement officials arrested 39 people last weekend in a swift, dramatic conclusion to a five-month drug investigation.

The string of arrests, which were not exclusively for drug crimes, was meant to disrupt a drug network in St. Mary's and protect the quality of life for law-abiding residents, said Lt. Daniel D. Alioto, commander of the St. Mary's County Bureau of Criminal Investigations Vice/Narcotics Division, a joint operation of the Sheriff's Office and the Maryland State Police.

"It was just a culmination of things that had come together, and they all came to a head close to the same period of time," Alioto said. "It also serves to send a clear message to those who continue to peddle dope that we're going to continue to come after them."

From Thursday to Sunday, 17 people were arrested on drug charges as part of what police called Operation Spring Cleaning. Others were arrested on charges including perjury in a drug trial, theft and assault.

Two sex offenders were arrested for allegedly failing to notify officials at the sex offender registry of a change in address, and one person was arrested after being indicted on a charge of felony child sex abuse.

Police also conducted a prostitution sting, arresting three people who allegedly offered undercover officers money for sex. Two other people were arrested on prostitution-related charges after officers allegedly caught them engaging in a sex act after a cash exchange.

"It got to the point where we felt we needed to incorporate that into the operation," Alioto said of the non-drug arrests. He said police were looking for drug dealers' entire support networks, including people who might bail suspects out of jail.

"When you take away five or six of the spokes, that wheel's not so tight anymore," he said. "These guys weren't able to bail each other out. These guys weren't able to communicate for a period of time."

Alioto said the operation involved as many as 35 officers from multiple law enforcement agencies, including two FBI units and the U.S. Marshals Service's Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. Though the name of the operation implies an annual schedule, Alioto would not say whether to expect a similar string of arrests the same time next year.

"I think the best thing that we have is, nobody knows, including them," he said. "We'll continue to do our thing."