LEONARDTOWN, MD – Narcotics detectives began an investigation into drugs being smuggled into the St. Mary’s County Detention Center and as a result, Lawrence Edward Keister was arrested and charged.
Suspect Keister swallowed a balloon full of ‘Suboxone,” which was provided to him during a court ordered doctor visit in Leonardtown.
The drugs were provided by Carey Holmes Bowen, 38 of Lexington Park (pictured left).
Suspect Bowen is the girlfriend of inmate John Francis Tippett Jr., 38 (pictured below) who was the intended recipient of the smuggled drugs.
Inmate Tippett was going to exchange “commissary” for the drugs once they made it into the facility. Detectives continued to gather information and obtained a search warrant for Bowen’s person in an attempt to recover her cellular phone. Bowen was instructed by Tippett to contact a third party, obtain a list of items the third party wanted and then respond to the Walmart in King George, VA to steal the desired items.
A list and photos were obtained by Bowen and detectives awaited her return to St. Mary’s County. When she returned, detectives, members of the Vice/Narcotics Support Team and K-9 deputies were waiting for her. She was stopped and the search warrant was executed, she was arrested and charged with “driving while suspended” and the stolen items were seized.
A Deputy from the King George County Sheriff’s Office met detectives at the Wal-Mart in Virginia and the property was returned, the surveillance video was recovered and all of the information was provided to the local deputy for charges. A felony arrest warrant was issued and served on Bowen.
Tippett is in jail awaiting a “pre-sentence investigation” report for a felony theft scheme which occurred at our local Walmart and was investigated by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division.
Additional charges are pending a review with State’s Attorney Richard D. Fritz related to Tippett and Bowen.
