Loaded gun and crack cocaine found in late-night Cambridge traffic stop
Cambridge, MD — A traffic stop for an equipment violation turned into a major bust late Wednesday night after Cambridge detectives found a loaded handgun and crack cocaine inside a vehicle on Race Street.
At approximately 10:28 p.m., detectives with the Cambridge Police Department’s P.A.C.E. Unit conducted a stop at Race Street and Elm Street. A K9 unit was called to the scene and conducted a sniff of the vehicle, which resulted in a positive alert for controlled dangerous substances (CDS).
Before officers searched the car, a back seat passenger, identified as Devonte Lamar Carter, 33, of Cambridge, informed police there was a firearm and CDS in the vehicle. He was immediately detained.
The driver, later identified as Richard Donald Blake, 69, also of Cambridge, was observed placing his hands in his pockets during the stop. Officers detained him as well and located CDS paraphernalia consistent with crack cocaine use.
A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered a loaded .32 caliber Beretta handgun and a quantity of crack cocaine. Blake was issued criminal citations and released from the scene.
Carter, who has previous felony convictions, was found to be prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. He was transported to the Cambridge Police Department and later held at the Dorchester County Department of Corrections on a $10,000 bond.
Blake was charged with:
- Driving Without a License
- CDS Possession Not Cannabis
- CDS Possession Paraphernalia
Carter was charged with:
- CDS Possession Not Cannabis
- Possession of a Firearm with a Felony Conviction
- Regulated Firearm Illegal Possession
- CDS Possession Firearm
- Loaded Handgun in Vehicle
- Handgun in Vehicle
- Illegal Possession Ammunition
The weapon, drugs, and paraphernalia were seized as evidence. No injuries were reported during the stop.
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Key Points
- Cambridge detectives recovered a loaded firearm and crack cocaine during a late-night stop
- Passenger with felony record faces multiple handgun and CDS charges
- Driver cited and released after being found with CDS paraphernalia