DATE: September 8, 2021                  

CONTACT: Diane Richardson
Media Relations Office
(301) 609-6557 or (240) 682-1658

Charles County, MD…On September 3, members of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Tactical Diversion Squad arrested Vincent Ippolito, 62, of Waldorf and Denise Marie Shifflett, 45, of La Plata in connection with illegally distributing drugs and narcotics.  

Ippolito, a licensed pharmacist and owner of Northgate Pharmacy in Waldorf, and Shifflett, an employee at the pharmacy, were indicted by a Charles County Grand Jury in August. Ippolito distributed narcotics to an undercover officer and Shifflett was conducting street deals of pharmaceutical controlled substances that she obtained from the pharmacy. The charges are the result of a yearlong investigation between both agencies operating on a joint task force that focuses on the diversion of pharmaceutical controlled substances.

“Detectives and members of the DEA worked diligently together to bring this case to a prosecutorial phase. Our mission is to help eradicate the illegal distribution of drugs that have negatively impacted the lives of many families,” said Sheriff Troy Berry. Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Division, commended the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office for their work in this investigation. Detectives are asking anyone with additional information to contact them at 301-609-5890.

The CCSO was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) in 2001 and has since earned the highest rating of Excellence. Established in 1658, the CCSO is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. For more information, visit www.ccso.us. Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at www.charlescountycrimesolvers.com or by using the P3Intel mobile app, which can be found in the Android Store and Apple store by searching P3tips. For more information about the P3 program, click on this link: www.p3intel.com.