20 Dec Baltimore man pleads guilty to drugs and firearms offenses

On behalf of Jack B. Rubin, PA posted in Weapons Crimes on Thursday, December 20, 2012.

A Baltimore man recently pleaded guilty to drug and firearms offenses after being charged by federal authorities in connection with a heroin and gun distribution ring. The 34-year-old defendant was then given a 10-year prison sentence for his role in the drug and firearms offenses. Two other people, a 38-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman who were also arrested after a police investigation back in March, were still awaiting trial for their alleged roles in the crimes.

Authorities reported that they recovered over a dozen illegal weapons, at least two ounces of heroin and $8000 in cash after they cracked down on the heroin and gun distribution ring. Police said that the man who pleaded guilty in the more recent case had actually been arrested for a firearms offense earlier this year. He apparently phoned several individuals while in jail and asked them to sell drugs and firearms in an effort to cover his legal and other expenses. This resulted in officials raiding two separate apartments and a storage unit that were used by the man in Baltimore, where they recovered drugs, firearms and other items related to drugs and guns.

Under the man’s plea agreement, he will also be required to serve three years of supervised release in addition to the 10-year prison sentence. Reports indicate that when authorities raided the first man’s apartments and storage unit, they also carried out searches upon several other homes. Those searches evidently resulted in the arrests of the two other people.

There is not yet any word from authorities on whether they plan to prosecute the other individuals on the federal level for the drug and firearms offenses. Whether they are tried on the state or federal level, the two individuals do have the same rights as the first defendant to either fight the charges or reach a plea agreement with prosecutors. In the meantime, they are deemed innocent unless and until proven guilty by the presentation of relevant evidence in court.

Source: Baltimore Sun, “Baltimore man sentenced in bust of heroin, gun ring,” Kevin Rector, Dec. 10, 2012