SNOW HILL — The local war on the growing heroin epidemic gained a victory this week when a significant dealer in Worcester arrested last March was sentenced to eight years after pleading guilty to distribution in July.
Last March, multiple law enforcement agencies teamed up on the arrest of a significant heroin dealer, Peter Paul Demarie III, 35, of Selbyville, who was known to operate in Worcester County and lower Delaware. The Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team initiated a joint heroin distribution investigation with the Delaware State Police, the Sussex Drug Unit and the Ocean City Police Department. The investigation focused on DeMarie, who was known by the Criminal Enforcement Team and the OCPD as an alleged major source of supply of heroin as well as cocaine and marijuana.
The investigation revealed DeMarie’s alleged criminal activity took him across state lines. On March 11, the Criminal Enforcement Team located DeMarie at a business parking lot in West Ocean City and took him into custody. A search of DeMarie’s person turned up 751 individually wrapped bags of suspected heroin and $1,150 in currency.
As a result of the coordinated effort, the Delaware State Police and the Sussex Drug Unit obtained a search and seizure warrant for DeMarie’s residence in Selbyville. During the search, detectives located a Hi-Point .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun, 1,784 grams, or nearly four pounds, of marijuana, 194 grams of suspected cocaine, 950 individual bags of heroin, over 26 grams of methamphetamine, 82 individual oxycodone tablets, two ecstasy tablets, 36 individual Suboxone strips and over $16,000 in currency. DeMarie was charged with multiple CDS crimes in Maryland along with related charges in Delaware.
In July, Demarie pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin and sentencing was deferred pending the outcome of a pre-sentence investigation. Back in court on Monday, Demarie was sentenced to eight years in prison. He was given credit for the 187 days he spent in custody awaiting trial.