LEXINGTON PARK, Md. — A 31-year-old Lexington Park resident, Daisaun Altay Eric Culpepper, was sentenced to 27 years in prison, with 15.5 years of active time, on April 7, 2025, for possessing a substantial amount of fentanyl, tampering with evidence, and violating probation. St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced the sentencing, which stemmed from a drug trafficking investigation culminating in a major seizure last fall.
The case began on October 16, 2024, when St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office detectives raided a Lexington Park home armed with a search warrant. Culpepper retreated to a bedroom, stalling for roughly 40 minutes before surrendering. Inside, authorities uncovered 685 grams of a fentanyl mixture—enough for potentially thousands of lethal doses, per DEA standards—along with tied-off plastic bags, drug-coated digital scales, and $6,000 in cash. Already wanted for a probation violation tied to a previous fentanyl distribution conviction, Culpepper faced additional charges from the bust.
“This case underscores the deadly threat that fentanyl poses to our community,” Sterling said, praising the Vice Narcotics Unit’s efforts in halting the drug’s spread. The unit, part of the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, spearheaded the operation. Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Lisa Ridge prosecuted the case, with Judge Joseph Stanalonis overseeing the proceedings.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin, has driven Maryland’s overdose crisis, claiming 2,562 lives statewide in 2023, according to the Maryland Department of Health. St. Mary’s County, with a population of about 113,510 per the U.S. Census Bureau, has not been immune, prompting intensified enforcement. The 685 grams seized could have flooded local streets, amplifying the public health risk.
Culpepper’s active sentence of 15.5 years reflects the court’s stance on curbing opioid trafficking, with the remaining 11.5 years suspended. His prior conviction and probation violation factored into the penalty, underscoring a pattern of drug-related offenses. Sterling vowed continued collaboration with law enforcement to target such activities aggressively.
