U.S. Attorney: Cecil County Man Charged in Heroin Ring

An Elkton man was one of seven people arrested Thursday on charges of conspiracy to distribute heroin, according to the United States Attorney.

Rachine Huron Garnett, 37—whose aliases included "Blockhead," "Sheen," "Red" and "Ray"—was connected with a drug ring based in New York with ties to Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland, court documents state.

Based in the Bronx, NY, the heroin mill allegedly manufactured one to two kilograms of heroin weekly, court documents state.

Garnett traveled to Philadelphia to pick up the heroin from a man who went by the name of "Black Pa," the U.S. Attorney said.

They "often exchanged vehicles during these meetings, and it is alleged that the money and drugs were hidden in mechanized hidden compartments, called 'traps,' in the vehicles," according to a prepared statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Investigators said they intercepted phone calls and text messages that allegedly included discussion of drug activities in coded language.

The Aug. 7 indictment of nine individuals allegedly involved in the heroin ring came the week that Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley met with health and law enforcement officials in Cecil County about the spike in fatal overdoses.

Garnett appeared Thursday before the U.S. District Court in Baltimore and is facing a maximum sentence of a lifetime in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

In addition to Garnett, six others were indicted and taken into custody:

• Rachine Huron Garnett (aka "Blockhead," "Sheen," "Red" and "Ray"), 37, of Elkton, MD
  
• Luis Lugo-Santiago (aka "Papi" and "Andres Galvez"), 38, of New York, NY
• Orlando Nunez de Leon (aka "Alberto Ando"), 36, of New York, NY
• Jorge Ayala-Pizzaro Jr. (aka "Black Pa" and "Black Pop"), 23, of Philadelphia, PA
• Veroni Chavarria Cubero (aka "Vero"), 30, of Philadelphia, PA
• Maria Paulino Perez (aka "Nena"), 40, of Philadelphia, PA
• Abel Nunez-Reyes, 29, of Philadelphia, PA