13 are indicted in drug investigation

Police charge group with operating ring in Anne Arundel, Howard counties

Thirteen people have been indicted in connection with a drug ring police say was operating in Anne Arundel and Howard counties, the police departments for the two counties announced Monday.

The indictments stemmed from an investigation that began in early 2017 into Marvin Craig Little, who police say is a high-level cocaine and heroin distributor operating throughout central Maryland.

Police charged Little, a 30-year-old Laurel man, with 32 counts, including importing heroin and cocaine, armed trafficking, gang participation and disqualified possession of a regulated firearm. Little was indicted in February and his next hearing is scheduled for Nov. 2 in the Howard County Circuit Court, according to online court records.

Other men indicted include 23-year-old Michael Alexander Ward of Laurel. Ward was charged in February with eight counts, including gang participation, conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine and fentanyl.

Steven Lee Wise Jr., 41, of Odenton was charged in March with conspiracy and dealing heroin. He pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge, according to online court records.

Jesse Ray Spielman, 22, of Crofton was charged in March with conspiracy and pleaded guilty, online court records show.

Larry Rufus Saddler, a 32-year-old Laurel man, was charged in March with narcotic drug conspiracy.

Reginald Bryan Mathis, 34, of Temple Hills was charged in May with conspiracy to distribute narcotics.

And 34-year-old Samson Mesfun of Oakley, Calif., was charged in May with conspiracies to import and distribute cocaine.

Court records were not immediately available for Ward, Saddler or Mesfun. Attorneys for Little, Wise, Spielman and Mathis could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.

Detectives served 10 warrants during the investigation and seized more than $300,000 in cash, jewelry worth more than $180,000, five vehicles, five handguns (one of which was stolen), a stolen assault rifle, about 12.5 kilograms of cocaine and 1.25 kilograms of a heroin/fentanyl mix, police said.

The names of six others charged were not released because their indictments were sealed or their cases had other outstanding investigative issues, according to police.

Police from Howard and Anne Arundel counties worked with the Laurel Police Department to conduct the investigation.