Delaware State Police

Superintendent Colonel William Crotty

Search Warrant in Dagsboro Leads to Arrest for Drug Offenses and Stolen Property

Date Posted: Friday, October 11th, 2024

Delaware State Police have arrested 62-year-old John Rickards of Dagsboro, Delaware, for multiple felony drug charges and receiving stolen property following a search warrant at a Dagsboro residence.

On October 10, 2024, members of the Sussex County Governor’s Task Force and the Sussex County Drug Unit, executed a search warrant at a house on the 32000 block of Dupont Boulevard in Dagsboro. The search warrant was obtained following a three-month investigation of Rickards for a criminal nuisance property as well as the manufacturing and distribution of illegal narcotics. During the search warrant, detectives detained nine individuals that were located on the property, including Rickards.

A search of the property led to the discovery of the following items:

Approximately 197.02 grams marijuana
Approximately 2.03 grams cocaine
Approximately 2.85 grams of methamphetamines
Approximately 0.12 grams of crack cocaine
Drug paraphernalia and digital scales
$641 in suspected drug proceeds
Stolen John Deere Gator UTV
Several stolen power tools

After a search of the property, four of the nine individuals detained were arrested for misdemeanor offenses and capias warrants. The others were released without incident.

Rickards was taken to Troop 4 where he was charged with the crimes listed below, arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 2, and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on a $59,000 cash bond.