Fifty-five people have been charged in what Delaware State Police dubbed the largest seizure of prepackaged heroin in Sussex County.
State police and other law enforcement officials announced the indictment Wednesday as part of “Operation Dawg House,” an investigation that officials linked to numerous overdoses last year.
“In the midst of an addiction epidemic that claims more than 400 lives a year – and in which Delaware has consistently been one of the country’s three hardest-hit states – this operation saved lives,” Attorney General Kathleen Jennings said.
Of the 55 indicted as part of the operation, 45 have been arrested, while two others are awaiting extradition from Maryland. Eight are still wanted, according to police, including George L. Johnson of Bridgeville.
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Police said they identified Johnson as the head of a Sussex County drug-dealing organization following a multi-agency investigation that began in November 2020, including a wiretap that spanned several months in 2021.
“Johnson’s organization was targeted due to an influx of heroin overdoses and incidents that were traced to a series of product stamps associated with his distribution network,” said Capt. Jon Wood, commander at Troop 4 in Georgetown.
Those products were stamped with “Dior” and “Uber,” among other names. In the first half of 2021 alone, according to Wood, there were at least six deaths in Delaware directly related to those products.
Operation Dawg House resulted in 270 charges, 232 of which are felonies. The vast majority of those felonies are drug dealing. George L. Johnson, as well as Lamont Johnson, Tara T. Weston, Lentia N. Brown, Stephen C. Garrison, Quasean T. Deputy and Terrance D. Jones are charged with racketeering, in addition to drug dealing.
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The indictment also included charges of maintaining a drug property against three people at two separate properties in Seaford.
As part of the investigation, police seized 2.314 kilos of heroin, mainly during a traffic stop, according to Wood. One kilogram of heroin is equivalent to about 2.2 pounds of the drug.
They also seized, during the execution of five search warrants, 20 caplets filled with a mixture of heroin and fentanyl; 5.82 grams of crack cocaine; 771 grams of marijuana; 10 doses of ecstasy; and three guns, one of which police said was stolen with a removed serial number.
Police also seized drug paraphernalia, cellphones, documents, ammunition, $65,000 in cash and three cars valued at over $50,000.
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There was no “home base” for the organization, Wood said, though they operated mainly in central and western Sussex County, as well as in Maryland’s Wicomico and Worcester counties.
In this particular investigation, according to Wood, the drugs were coming from Pennsylvania, where investigations are ongoing.
George L. Johnson has been in a location unknown to police since shortly after he was indicted, according to Wood. He and his lawyer at the time had planned for him to turn himself in, but Johnson changed his mind, Wood said.
There were 447 overdose deaths in Delaware in 2020. There have been 62 suspected overdose deaths in Delaware so far this year, according to the Department of Health and Social Services. Last year’s report has not yet been released.
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