ELKTON, Md. — A 31-year-old Joppa man, caught with heroin mixed with fentanyl and methamphetamine during a February hotel room raid near North East, has been placed into Cecil County’s Adult Drug Court program after taking a plea deal earlier this week.
Robert Taylor Fain pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance during a hearing in Cecil County Circuit Court on Monday. In exchange for his guilty plea, 15 additional charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement between Assistant State’s Attorney Scott Lewis and defense attorney Tina Schlecker.
Drug Court Enrollment & Sentencing
Circuit Court Administrative Judge Brenda A. Sexton accepted the plea and deferred sentencing, ordering Fain into the Adult Drug Court program, a post-plea, voluntary alternative sentencing program aimed at helping substance abuse offenders through treatment and accountability rather than incarceration.
Participants in the program are required to:
Attend regular courtroom sessions
Undergo both random and scheduled drug testing
Receive counseling and treatment through the Cecil County Health Department
Meet life-stabilization goals like employment and educational advancement
Violations, such as missed sessions or positive drug tests, may result in jail penalties, including weekend incarceration.
Fain’s first drug court appearance is scheduled for Friday.
February Drug Raid in North East
Fain’s arrest stems from an investigation launched by the Maryland State Police Strategic Operations Group North during the winter of 2025, with assistance from the Cecil County Drug Task Force. Investigators identified Fain and another suspect as individuals suspected of distributing narcotics from Room 248 at the Comfort Inn, located on Center Drive near North East, Maryland.
On February 3, around 3:30 p.m., officers executed a search warrant at the hotel and recovered:
16 bags of heroin/fentanyl in wax folds
1 bag containing methamphetamine
Multiple empty wax folds
$207 in cash, now forfeited as part of the plea deal
Fain was arrested on-site and taken into custody without incident.
