On Tuesday, July 16, 2024, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office was alerted to suspected tampering with the security seal on a narcotics box in a local medic unit. Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division found that fentanyl vials in the medic box had been compromised, leading to further investigations that uncovered additional tampering incidents in multiple county medic units and EMS facilities.
Thomas Patrick Raley, 39, Chief of Emergency Medical Services for St. Mary’s County Government, has been identified as the lone suspect. The investigation is continuing in coordination with the Office of the State’s Attorney for St. Mary’s County.
If you have information related to this case, please contact Sergeant Kevin Meyer at Kevin.Meyer@stmaryscountymd.gov or call 301-475-4200, ext. 8091.
Original Release
St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Tampering of Emergency Medical Service Narcotics Boxes
LEONARDTOWN, MD (July 19, 2024) - On Tuesday, July 16, 2024, the St. Mary’s County Government Department of Emergency Services contacted the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office and reported suspected tampering with the security seal on a narcotics box in a local medic unit.
Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division responded, and the investigation revealed that the seal on a medic box containing vials of fentanyl had been broken. Further investigation uncovered that the security packaging on fentanyl vials within the medic box had also been compromised. In response to these findings, detectives conducted simultaneous investigations at all county medic units. This effort led to the discovery of additional tampering incidents involving multiple narcotics boxes.
Despite the extensive scope of the investigation and the widespread evidence, detectives have identified a suspect, and charges are pending.
Questions regarding public health concerns should be directed to the Department of Emergency Services; representatives from the department will directly contact any individual whose care may have been impacted by this incident.
Residents with information about the criminal investigation are asked to contact Sergeant Kevin Meyer at Kevin.Meyer@stmaryscountymd.gov or call 301-475-4200, ext. 8091.
