A 32-year-old Salisbury man was sentenced to 28 years in jail for felony gun and drug offenses, according to the Wicomico County State’s Attorney Matt Maciarello.

Antoine Belizaire Jr. was sentenced Feb. 10 by a Wicomico County Circuit Court judge, Maciarello said.

On Dec. 18, 2014, after a two-day trial, a Wicomico County jury convicted Belizaire of possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, being a felon in possession of a regulated firearm, possession of a regulated firearm during a drug trafficking offense and numerous other related offenses related to the events of April 22, 2014, the state’s attorney said.

On Feb. 13, another Wicomico County Circuit Court judge sentenced Belizaire to 30 years in jail for Belizaire’s role in orchestrating a drug conspiracy while in the Wicomico County Detention Center.

The judge also imposed a consecutive 10-year prison sentence for violation of probation. The sentences will be consecutive, Maciarello said.

Charges filed in traffic stop near Tyaskin

A 31-year-old Salisbury man and a juvenile were charged for drug violations by Maryland State Police Sunday after a suspicious vehicle was reported, police said.

Troopers from the Salisbury barrack responded to Head of Creek Road at Brot-Matt Road at 8:11 p.m., approached the vehicle and noticed marijuana in the center console of the car, police said. Police said they ordered the driver and passenger out of the car, but the driver drove away and the car hit a patch of ice. It went into a roadside ditch, police said.

Nobody was injured, but the passenger was taken to Peninsula Regional Medical Center due to being underage, police said. He was charged as a juvenile with possession of controlled dangerous substance.

The driver, Shawn Michael Stanley, was charged with traffic violations and possession of controlled dangerous substance, police said.

No injuries in Newtown house fire

Nobody was injured in a house fire Feb. 18 at 324 Poplar Hill Ave.

Estimated loss to the three-story, wood-frame structure, owned by Christine Wolfe, was $15,000, plus $15,000 loss of contents, the fire marshal said.

It took two hours for 35 firefighters from the Salisbury, Fruitland and Delmar fire departments to extinguish the blaze, the fire marshal said.

The fire started in the attic at 11:51 p.m. and was discovered by the occupant. The cause was electrical and ruled accidental, the fire marshal said.

Victim ruled to have committed suicide

The official cause of death was asphyxiation for a man Salisbury Police said committed suicide by hanging himself in public view from a tree off North Salisbury Boulevard on Valentine’s Day.

The state Medical Examiner’s Office made the determination after an autopsy Feb. 15, police said. Findings were released Feb. 18.

Police said the medical examiner also determined there were no signs of foul play.

The man was a 46-year-old Georgetown resident who police had earlier spotted in his car, police said.

He told them he was homeless, and trying to stay warm. He was not involved in criminal activity, police said.

Salisbury man accused of armed robbery

A 39-year-old Salisbury man was arrested and charged with attempted robbery and related charges, Salisbury Police said.

Victor Nathaniel Insley was also charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault and wearing and carrying a dangerous weapon, police said.

Insley was arrested after police, at 2:04 p.m. Feb. 18, responded to Calvert Street and Poplar Hill Avenue for a reported attempted robbery.

Investigators met with two victims who said they had been accosted by a man who had a knife and demanded their money.

The victims said they were walking east on Calvert Street from the Wicomico County Multi-Service building at 201 Baptist St.,  toward their vehicle, when they were approached by a man, police said.

He displayed the knife and said, “I want your money,” police said.

Both victims refused to give the man money and began to take the knife from him.

Detectives assigned to the Child Advocacy Center heard the victims shouting for police and responded, police said.

Nobody was hurt.

Salisbury Police announce shoplifting arrestees

In an effort to reduce shoplifting, Salisbury Police have released the names of those charged Feb. 16 to Feb. 22.

Arrested were Rashad Kenyaht Jordan, 33, of Salisbury; Harold James Morton, 59, of Salisbury; and Amy Dawn Millington, 26, of Salisbury.