Four police agencies have been part of a monthslong investigation into drugs being trafficked by nonveterans onto the sprawling campus of Maryland’s largest Veterans Affairs hospital — the Perry Point VA Medical Center in Cecil County.
One man has been arrested so far, but Maryland State Police, which is leading the investigation, said the probe into illicit activity at the 397-acre complex is ongoing.
Asante Anderson, a 50-year-old Perry Point resident, was arrested while driving into the hospital complex Jan. 27 with 4 ounces of cocaine, drug paraphernalia and several MDMA pills, commonly known as ecstasy, on his person and in the black 2011 Honda Pilot he was driving, state police said.
More cocaine, ecstasy and drug paraphernalia were found at two Perry Point homes associated with Anderson, police said, and he faces drug-trafficking charges.
State police originally said law enforcement “identified numerous suspects, none of whom are veterans, trafficking drugs onto the Perry Point campus for resale.” But the agency has not made any other arrests, spokesperson Elena Russo said Tuesday.
Police believe Anderson was “the supply source for illegal drugs,” selling drugs to veterans — but despite Anderson having a Perry Point address, MSP has “no record” of him being a veteran.
Asked whether Perry Point ever houses nonveterans or if the Department of Veterans Affairs had any comment about the investigation, a VA Maryland Health Care System spokesperson said: “We have no official statement at this time.”
With about 298 beds as of fiscal year 2024, Perry Point’s 397-acre complex along the Susquehanna River is the largest inpatient facility among Maryland’s three VA hospitals and the only one outside Baltimore City.
Perry Point’s bed capacity is down from 357 in 2021, according to the hospital system’s annual report. But it also unveiled a new 75-unit HELP Veterans Village housing facility in 2018, built by the nonprofit HELP Development Corporation to address veteran homelessness.
Nationwide, other drug-trafficking investigations at VA hospitals have been reported in recent years. Two men were sentenced in 2023 for distributing fentanyl at a Massachusetts VA hospital. The 2010s saw a spate of prominent cases of drug abuse at VA hospitals, including 2014 charges of workers distributing cocaine and 2017 charges of employees stealing or selling prescription drugs.
Veterans face felony drug trafficking charges at similar rates as the rest of the population, according to a 2021 report by the U.S. Sentencing Commission.
MSP worked with Cecil County’s Drug Task Force, the Elkton Police Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs on the Jan. 27 traffic stop. Elkton Police has not replied to a request for comment about why it was involved. The Perryville Police Department, which does not oversee the Perry Point complex, is not involved in the investigation.
Anderson, who was ordered held without bond, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Feb. 27.
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