Grasonville Man Sentenced for Drug Distribution Charges

Queen Anne's County, MD - A Grasonville man is heading to prison after being convicted on drug distribution charges. Joey Prerinze Ryans was found guilty on July 22, 2026, of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Tramadol. The case stemmed from a drug investigation in Queen Anne's County, Maryland.

Ryans was sentenced on August 28, 2026. He received 20 years' incarceration, with three years to serve at the Division of Corrections and 17 years suspended. Once he is released, Ryans will spend four years on supervised probation.

The case began when the Queen Anne's County Drug Task Force executed a search and seizure warrant at a property on Brownsville Road in Centreville. Ryans was not the original target of the investigation. He was found at the scene and was determined to be in constructive possession of the drugs involved.

Investigators later searched Ryans' cell phone as part of the case. That search turned up text messages between Ryans and unknown individuals discussing the sale of cocaine and tramadol. This is not Ryans' first brush with the law when it comes to drugs. He was prosecuted in 2018 for a separate involvement in the illegal drug trade.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy State's Attorney Christine Dulla Rickard and Assistant State's Attorney Jessica Davidson. Several agencies worked together to bring the case forward. The State expressed its appreciation to the Queen Anne's County Drug Task Force, the Kent County Task Force, the Talbot County Task Force, the Maryland State Police, and the Queen Anne's County Office of the Sheriff for their work on the investigation.

Cases like this one show the ongoing effort by local and state agencies to address drug distribution across the Eastern Shore. Task forces from multiple counties often work together on these investigations, since drug activity does not usually stay within one jurisdiction. The cooperation between these agencies played a key role in this case reaching a conviction.

Note: No photo was available for this individual.