Baltimore Career Offender Exiled to Over 12 Years in Prison on Drug Charges

BALTIMORE—U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Antonio Liburd, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 151 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Judge Hollander also ordered that Liburd forfeit a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun and $13,200 seized during a search of Liburd’s home on March 25, 2011. Judge Hollander enhanced Liburd’s sentence upon finding that he is a career offender, based on four previous drug convictions.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler; and Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III.

According to Liburd’s plea agreement, on March 24, 2011, detectives with the Baltimore Police Department obtained search warrants for Liburd’s pick-up truck and two residences he occupied, including a residence in the 1000 block of Wilmont Court in Baltimore. The next day, Baltimore Police and the FBI set up surveillance of Liburd and executed the first search warrant as Liburd was inside his truck. Law enforcement recovered 153 black ziplock baggies containing a total of 20.53 grams of cocaine, as well as another eight grams of cocaine in the groin area of Liburd’s clothing. A subsequent search of Liburd’s Wilmont Court residence recovered a plastic storage box from the master bedroom containing $13,200 in cash, a plastic bag with three grams of cocaine and drug paraphernalia. The box also contained a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun, a magazine with 10 .40 caliber rounds, photos of Liburd, and other personal papers belonging to Liburd.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Baltimore Police Department and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in this investigation and thanked Special Assistant United States Attorney Gerald A. Collins, a cross-designated Maryland Assistant Attorney General assigned to Exile cases, who prosecuted the case.