The third person charged with participating in a drug deal at a Centreville gas station has now been found guilty of both his offenses and will be sentenced later this month. He is Marron F. Nowlin, 25, of 13th Place S.E., in Washington, D.C.
THE INCIDENT occurred the night of Oct. 27, 2005, at the Sunoco station at Stone Road and Route 29 in Centreville. Also implicated in the crime were two Centreville women, both of the Newgate community — Nakasha Tionna Warren, 29, of 14486 Four Chimney Drive, and Casey Yvette Geter, 36, of 6016 Havener House Way.
During Geter's jury trial in Circuit Court, July 31-Aug. 2, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Tara Mooney told the jurors, "This is a case about three people who worked together to sell crack cocaine [and] came to a pre-arranged drug deal."
A slew of police detectives with the Street Crimes Unit then testified about the specifics of what happened, that night. Since they were all operating undercover, and continue to do so, Centre View cannot reveal their identities.
Unbeknownst to Warren, Geter and Nowlin, one of the detectives had set up the drug deal in hopes of arresting the dealers. "I'd arranged through a confidential informant [C/I] to buy some crack cocaine from Nakasha Warren," he explained. "The deal was supposed to be for $400 of crack cocaine."
He said Warren — who was Nowlin's girlfriend — suggested the Sunoco station as the meeting place and the deal occurred around 9 p.m. "At least two calls were made between the C/I and Warren to set up the drug buy," he said. "The C/I was in the front seat of my vehicle. Warren came up to the passenger window, said hello to the C/I and we exchanged greetings."
He said the C/I had no drugs or money of his/her own on his/her person prior to the transaction. But earlier, he'd provided this individual with county "Buy Funds" — money he'd previously Xeroxed so he could read the serial numbers on each bill.
Warren and this person then walked into the restroom for the drug buy. The detective testified that the C/I carried out two drug purchases with Warren, returning to his vehicle each time with crack cocaine.
FOLLOWING the transactions, other police officers waiting nearby stopped the drug dealers' vehicle after it left the gas station and entered Route 29. They then apprehended all three people — but not before some seriously anxious and dangerous moments — and this was where Nowlin's involvement especially came into play.
Geter was driving a Jeep SUV, Warren was in the passenger seat and Nowlin — who played the role of the enforcer and had brought along a weapon in case anything went wrong — was in the back. And after blocking and stopping the SUV, police were trying to get the trio to come out of the vehicle, but Nowlin was ignoring their orders.
"He wasn't complying with any of our commands," testified another of the detectives. "We were yelling, 'Fairfax County police; let us see your hands! Don't move!' He kept trying to reach down to the floorboard on the passenger side where there was a 9-mm, loaded handgun."
Nowlin eventually cooperated, though, and all three people were taken into custody. Each was charged with distribution of cocaine, and Nowlin was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Since then, Warren, Geter and Nowlin have each appeared in Circuit Court separately for their crimes — and all three have been convicted.
On Feb. 6, Warren pleaded guilty to one count of cocaine distribution before Judge Stanley Klein. And on April 20, he sentenced her to 15 months in prison (six years, with four years and nine months suspended).
On Aug. 2, Geter — who drove to and from the drug deal — was found guilty of the same crime. The jury recommended she be sentenced to five years in prison and, on Sept. 22, she'll return to court to receive her punishment from Judge Arthur Vierreg Jr.
As for Nowlin, he had a jury trial on the drug-distribution charge and was convicted on June 23. His jury recommended that he serve seven years behind bars and he'll learn his fate Sept. 22 in head Circuit Court Judge Michael McWeeny's courtroom.
Regarding his weapons charge, he was slated to have a Sept. 6 jury trial. But he instead pleaded guilty that day and, on Sept. 22, McWeeny will sentence him for this offense, as well.