Baltimore, Maryland – The guilty verdict was returned at the end of a five-day federal trial.
The conviction was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Amal Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department.
According to the evidence presented at his five-day trial, in October and November 2019, Harrison was part of a drug conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine in Baltimore and Baltimore County. Law enforcement officers investigating the conspiracy surveilled Harrison, who is believed to be the leader of the group “Young Go Getters,” and observed him traveling from Baltimore to locations in Rosedale and Golden Ring Park in Baltimore County, where he made short stops to conduct narcotics transactions. Afterward, Harrison traveled to a casino in Delaware with the drug proceeds.
“With this conviction, our federal, state and local law enforcement team here in Maryland held accountable an armed narcotics dealer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner. “There is no question that in general the drug trade fuels overdoses and gun violence, and as we saw in this trial, drug dealers often possess deadly narcotics and firearms. We would like to thank the FBI and the Baltimore and Anne Arundel County police departments for their partnership and terrific investigative work on this case. At the end of the day, we are focused on making the community safer for Maryland residents, and this conviction is another step in that direction.”
According to testimony and court documents, on November 25, 2019, FBI investigators executed search warrants at locations associated with the conspiracy, including a search of Harrison. From Harrison, investigators recovered $9,277 in cash and a .40 caliber handgun loaded with an extended magazine containing 17 rounds, including one in the chamber. The $9,277 were proceeds of Harrison’s drug trafficking activity. At a stash location associated with the conspiracy, law enforcement recovered a 9mm pistol, loaded with 16 rounds, including one in the chamber; a .25 caliber pistol loaded with five rounds; a container with 386 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and heroin; several clear plastic bags containing a total of 40 grams of cocaine; a clear plastic bag containing 50 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl; a clear plastic bag containing 27 grams of crack cocaine; a plastic bag containing 71 grams of a fentanyl mixture; and drug paraphernalia.
As a result of a previous felony conviction, Harrison knew that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Harrison faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in federal prison for the drug conspiracy; a maximum of 20 in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin; a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person; and a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, and a maximum of life in federal prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm will schedule the sentencing at a later date.
Co-defendant Christopher Jerry, age 30, of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Goo and Charles Austin, who are prosecuting the case.
