U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Dwayne Douglas, age 39, of Bowie, Maryland, to eight years in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release for being a member of a conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute five kilograms of cocaine.
The guilty plea and sentence were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office (DEA); Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Postal Inspector in Charge Daniel A. Adame of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division (USPIS); Lieutenant Colonel Kevin M. Anderson, Chief of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police (MDTA Police); Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD).
“Our law enforcement team here in Maryland is focusing on individuals and groups who are driving the violence and bringing large quantities of narcotics into our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan Lenzner. “As a large-scale narcotics dealer who also illegally possessed firearms, Dwayne Douglas endangered communities in our state. I would like to commend and thank the local, state and federal law enforcement agencies who worked together to hold accountable Douglas and other members of the conspiracy.”
According to his guilty plea, in furtherance of the narcotics conspiracy, Douglas met with co-conspirators on several occasions. In one meeting, Douglas transferred drug proceeds directly to an individual who unbeknownst to Douglas was a confidential informant (CI). In order to conduct the transactions, the CI would call a third party to arrange the transfer and a code would be assigned. Thereafter, the CI would meet Douglas and, after Douglas received the code from the CI, Douglas would transfer the drug proceeds to the CI.
Specifically, in October 2016, Douglas delivered approximately $250,000 in narcotics to a CI in a Bowie, Maryland hotel parking lot. In March 2017, Douglas delivered approximately $149,960 to a CI in the parking lot of a College Park, Maryland restaurant.
Additionally, in November 2016, a CI received a notification and the description of a vehicle that would transfer drug proceeds and gave that description to law enforcement. Law enforcement then conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle, in the vicinity of Hyattsville, Maryland. Douglas was the driver of the vehicle. During the car stop, law enforcement observed an open box in the back passenger seat filled of U.S. Currency. Douglas informed law enforcement that there was “a lot” of money in the car. Following a positive canine sniff, law enforcement searched the vehicle and recovered a total of $158,609.
One day later, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant in which Douglas was the target in Lanham, Maryland. As a result of the search warrant, law enforcement recovered numerous items including a scale with cocaine residue, Douglas’ personal items, and a loaded semi-automatic pistol. A federal search and seizure warrant was authorized the next month for Douglas’ DNA. DNA found on the firearm was compared to Douglas’ DNA and the chances of an individual other than Douglas being the DNA contributor was one in 7.24 octillion. The DNA that matched Douglas was found on the grip and trigger of the firearm.
As stated in his plea agreement, on July 28, 2020, investigators executed federal search and seizure warrant on Douglas’ Silver Spring, Maryland apartment. Investigators recovered a pistol loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition, 10 rounds of .45 caliber bullets, two magazines, four separate boxes of ammunition, more than 10 cellular phones, a money counter machine, a food-saver heat sealer machine, packaging materials for controlled substances, latex gloves and three digital scales. Within a safe, DEA agents recovered approximately $25,241.00. DEA agents arrested Douglas, who was inside his apartment.
In his plea agreement, Douglas agrees that it was reasonably foreseeable to him that the conspiracy distributed five kilograms or more of cocaine. Douglas further admits and agrees that he possessed the two above-described firearms even though he was prohibited from doing so due to a prior felony conviction.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The overdose crisis continues to devastate our states and local communities. If you believe you may need substance use disorder treatment or recovery services, please call 1800-662-HELP (4357). You may also visit the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland for further information and resources on opioid awareness at https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/page/file/1390896/download.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA, HSI, the MDTA Police, the BCP, U.S. Postal Inspectors, and the MCPD for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Warwick and Zachary B. Stendig, who prosecuted the case.
