ACCUSED COUNTERFEIT DRUG DEALER SAYS POLITICS PROMPTED HIS ARREST

Suspect still jailed two months after candidate tips police

Salisbury - Locked up at the Wicomico County jail since Feb. 19,
21-year-old Bryan Pinkett believes he is a political prisoner.

Accused of attempting to sell a counterfeit illegal drug and possessing
drug paraphernalia, the Baker Street resident's arrest would normally be
unremarkable for Salisbury's Hotspot neighborhood where crime is
concentrated. However, what makes Mr. Pinkett's case unique is the person
who initiated his arrest: Salisbury City Council President Carolyn Hall.

On Thursday, Feb 19, Mrs. Hall said she was travelling through the Baker
Street area in response to a citizen's complaint about poor street
maintenance. According to police records, when Mrs. Hall was in the area
of Railroad Avenue and Baker Street, she called the Salisbury Police
Department to report that an unknown black male wearing a camouflage green
jacket and a similar style cap had attempted to flag her down and sell her
drugs.

A few minutes later two police officers arrived in the area and using the
clothing description provided by Mrs. Hall, approached Mr. Pinkett near
Baker and Charles Street area and told him to "hold up." According to the
police report, Mr. Pinkett allegedly began reaching toward his right pocket
and was ordered to keep his hands out of it.

Fearing he had a weapon or was attempting to destroy evidence, the officers
grabbed Mr. Pinkett and maced him. A search of Mr. Pinkett revealed that
he had several pieces of soap crafted to look like illegal crack cocaine
and drug paraphernalia, identified as a plastic baggie in court documents.

Mr. Pinkett was taken to the Detention Center and held on $7,500 bond.
Unable to meet his bail, Mr. Pinkett is still incarcerated.

Mr. Pinkett's arrest would normally be listed in the "Police Beat" section
of the daily newspaper. But two days after his arrest, Mr. Pinkett, along
with Mrs. Hall, had their pictures one on top of the other over a story
titled "Hall tip leads to drug arrest." The arrest even resulted in an
anonymously-published parody newspaper titled the Daily Bath that was
circulated in the Church Street area and poked fun at the incident.

More than two months later, Mr. Pinkett is still troubled about what
happened. He acknowledges his past scrapes with the law have lead him to
serve time for drug and other violations. But this time, he feels he was
set up.

"When I saw my picture in the paper I was hurt and angry because I was
being used for somebody's political game," Mr. Pinkett said, referring to
Mrs. Hall campaign for mayor. Mrs. Hall has long stated even as recently
as last Friday's mayoral debate that crime was her number one concern.

Mr. Pinkett however, believes he is just a plank in her political platform.

"I feel I'm being used because I'm a black man from Baker Street," he said.
Mr. Pinkett denies ever attempting to flag down Mrs. Hall to sell illegal
drugs or counterfeit drugs. In fact, he said he never saw Mrs. Hall at all
prior to his arrest.

"I never saw her", he said.

He said that while being arrested he did see through his maced-covered
eyes, several officers on the scene including Salisbury Police Capt. Leo
Bateman and Chief Coulbourn Dykes.

In a telephone interview last week, Mr. Pinkett said the soap in his
possession did not even belong to him, but he took it from a 14-year-old
because he did want the boy, who he treats like a little brother, to get in
trouble. According to Mr. Pinkett, " I said to the boy, why are you doing
this? He told me, 'Because I'm hungry.'" Mr. Pinkett said at that point he
took the fake drugs and in exchange gave the boy a fish sandwich he had
picked up from a woman known as the "Chicken Lady," who lives on Charles
Street.

Mr. Pinkett's story about the events that led up to his arrest are also
supported in the police report. According to the report, Mr. Pinkett told
his arresting officers, "I took that stuff from a little boy over there.
It's not even real, it's DT's (fake drugs). He was hanging around with the
boys and that stuff will get you killed."

The report filed by Officer Rusty Savage is absent of a statement that Mrs.
Hall ever identified Mr. Pinkett personally during or after the arrest,
however.

Mr. Pinkett told the same story to his uncle, Russell Pinkett, who has not
seen his nephew since the arrest. And according to Russell Pinkett, who
lives near Baker Street, his nephew told him he never attempted to wave
anybody down in order to sell drugs.

"(Bryan) told me he was just walking down the street and then all of a
sudden cop cars pulled up to him," Russell Pinkett said. "It really was
kind of wicked what they did to him."

Veteran Baker Street resident Brenda "Mama Dukes" Wallace said it is not
normal for neighborhood drug dealers to wave down or attempt to sell drugs
- --fake or real -- to people who stand out from the crowd. "Them boys ain't
going to stop no damn body dressed better than we do," Ms. Wallace said.
She also believes Bryan Pinkett was set up for political reasons.

When contacted for this story Mrs. Hall said this was the first time she
ever heard Mr. Pinkett's allegations. However, due to the nature of the
case, she said, "I don't think I can comment."

Mr. Pinkett said he has been wanting to tell his story for to his attorney
from the Public Defender's Office, but he has not seen her since his Feb.
20 bond review. Also, it is not known when the facts will be heard under
oath because a court date has yet to be scheduled.