At approximately 8:27 p.m. on Thursday, January 18, 2024, St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Deputy First Class Travis Wimberly proactively initiated a traffic stop after witnessing an equipment violation on a 2005 Chevrolet Express van.

Following the stop, Corporal Phillip Henry responded to the scene, and a K9 scan of the vehicle and occupants produced a positive alert for the detection of narcotics. A subsequent search resulted in the discovery of an amount of cocaine concealed in a wallet belonging to Michael Wade Blackistone, 41, of Lexington Park, MD.

Mr. Wade was arrested and transported to the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center to face a charge of CDS: Possession Not Marijuana; the second occupant of the vehicle was released.