Pocomoke City Police wants criminals held accountable

POCOMOKE CITY, Md. – Pocomoke City Police Chief Arthur Hancock is speaking out after the suspect arrested in the area’s first fentanyl bust was issued a low bond.

On Thursday, Gabriel Hayes was arrested in Pocomoke following a traffic stop on Tulls Corner Road. The officer detected a strong smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle. A probable cause search was issued and police found 428 grams of marijuana, 60 grams of suspected powder cocaine, 20 grams of suspected MDMA/Fentanyl, 4 suspected MDMA pills, 3 suspected Tramadol pills. Hayes was placed under arrest for possession CDS with the intent to distribute, CDS possession not-marijuana, CDS possession of marijuana.

Chief Hancock says he is not happy with the way the case went following Hayes’ arrest. “The police officers are fighting crime very hard, doing their job day in and day out, and just like the situation with this, it gets very frustrating to the police. Mr. Hayes had a 23-page criminal history, plenty of felony charges and he was placed under a $5,000 bond which means he had to have $500 to get back out into our community,” says the Chief.

Chief Hancock says when these crimes occur, the penalty has to be greater to protect the Pocomoke community. Without it criminals are right back on the street and not held accountable, however, he’s proud of how his officers handle crime in the city.