January 25th, 2018 by WCBC Radio

On Wednesday, January 24, 2018, at 1:49 a.m. the Frostburg City Police Department was notified by the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office of a tip and specific information they had received from a concerned citizen indicating that a controlled dangerous substance sale was about to occur in the city of Frostburg.

Frostburg City Police coordinated with sheriff’s deputies and monitored the east end of Frostburg at the location where the CDS sale was supposed to take place. Police located the two suspects in the case walking together on East Mechanic Street. The suspects were identified as Jesse William Tippett, 23, of Frostburg, and Benjamin Dakota Smyers, 23, of Frostburg. Police knew that Tippett had an active arrest warrant out for failure to appear in court.

Both subjects were stopped and contacted by police and sheriff’s deputies. Tippett was placed under arrest on the arrest warrant. Upon arresting Tippett at the scene, police discovered him to be in possession of a baggie of suspected cocaine, a smoking device, and United States currency.

Smyers was found to be in possession of a loaded .45 caliber handgun. Smyers was placed under arrest as well.

Tippett was charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, possession with intent to distribute CDS, possession of CDS paraphernalia, possession of a firearm in a drug trafficking crime, and carrying a firearm in a drug trafficking crime.

Smyers was charged with wearing/carrying a handgun, possession of a firearm while prohibited by criminal conviction, conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, possession with intent to distribute CDS, possession of a firearm in a drug trafficking crime, carrying a firearm in a drug trafficking crime, possession of ammunition while prohibited, and altering/obliterating a firearm identification number.

Tippett and Smyers were each presented to a District Court Commissioner and each was held without bond, pending trial.