Man Faces 10 Years In Jail For Selling Drugs To Cop

SNOW HILL – A Salisbury man arrested in Ocean City last Halloween for selling crack cocaine to an undercover Ocean City Police narcotics detective for the second time in as many days was found guilty last week in Circuit Court to possession with intent to distribute and was sentenced to 10 years in jail with more time possible.

Toby Cleveland Land, 37, of Salisbury, was in Worcester County Circuit Court last week facing multiple charges stemming from his arrest last October after selling crack cocaine to an undercover OCPD narcotics agent. Land pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to 10 years in jail without the possibility of parole.

Land faces more charges and possibly a significant amount of additional charges at a later date. At the outset of his trial last week, three other serious drug charges were severed from the main case against him and will be tried in July.

According to police reports, on Oct. 30, Land was informed the undercover detective wanted to buy $200 worth of crack cocaine from him and a meet was arranged at the foot of the pier near 1st Street. Around 7 p.m., Land arrived at the meet location as a rear passenger in a Ford Explorer and the detective recognized Land as he approached the vehicle.

Land was holding a chicken box that said “Fas’ Fried Chicken” on the outside and as the officer approached the vehicle, Land allegedly opened the box and said “Here y’all go right here,” and presented a rock of crack cocaine worth $200. The undercover officer completed the transaction, and when he went back to the Public Safety Building, he conducted a test and the white rock tested positive for cocaine.

The next day, on Oct. 31, the detective contacted Land via cell phone and told him he wanted to buy another $200 worth of crack cocaine. Land and the officer made arrangements for another meet in an alley along 1st Street not far from where the transaction was conducted the day before. This time, Land arrived as a passenger in a white Ford pick-up truck. The undercover officer completed the transaction and again the white substance he purchased tested positive.

Based on the two purchases made in two days, the OCPD officer obtained a warrant for Land’s arrest and he was taken into custody a short time later. Land was charged with several counts of manufacturing and distributing crack cocaine and other charges. Last week, he pleaded not guilty to any of the charges, but was found guilty of manufacturing and distributing crack cocaine and was sentenced to 10 years in jail with more charges still pending.