Supplier and Member of Temple Hills Drug Conspiracy Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison
| U.S. Attorney’s Office June 20, 2013 |
GREENBELT, MD—U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus sentenced Mack Easy Holland, age 40, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, today to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute phencyclidine (PCP), crack cocaine, and heroin, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
On June 19, 2013, Judge Titus sentenced Norman Lee, Jr., age 36, of Washington, D.C., to 188 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute phencyclidine (PCP). Judge Titus enhanced Lee’s sentence upon finding that he was a career offender based on three previous drug convictions.
The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Karl C. Colder of the Drug Enforcement Administration-Washington Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Chief Mark A. Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Chief Cathy L. Lanier of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to their guilty pleas, from at least June 2010 through February 2012, Holland and Lee were a part of a drug trafficking conspiracy based in and around Temple Hills, Maryland, that was led by Samuel Braxton. Braxton regularly received multi-ounce to quarter-gallon quantities of PCP from Holland, who was his primary source of supply, and would then add starter fluid or other chemicals to the PCP to increase its quantity. Also during this time period, Braxton received heroin and crack and powder cocaine from other sources of supply. Braxton sold the PCP, heroin, and crack to regular drug customers in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including Prince George’s County.
On a weekly basis from November 2011 through January 2012, Holland was overheard by law enforcement in phone conversations with Braxton in which they discussed the sale of and arranged transactions involving PCP. On January 5, 2012, Holland was arrested. Law enforcement seized approximately 24 ounces of PCP and 48 grams of heroin, $2,958 in cash and three cell phones from Holland and his car. A subsequent search of Holland’s residence recovered three metal gasoline canisters containing approximately three gallons of PCP from a shipping box outside the house, a 32 ounce bottle full of PCP in the house, four handguns (two of them loaded), and over $48,000 in cash. Holland had a previous felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
In late December 2011, Braxton provided approximately eight ounces of PCP to co-conspirator Maurice Allen, who redistributed those eight ounces of PCP to Lee. Lee was dissatisfied with the quality of the PCP and complained to Allen. Allen advised Braxton that his customer was not satisfied with the quality of the PCP that Allen had provided him, and Braxton agreed to exchange four ounces of PCP for a new batch. On January 10, 2012, Allen and Lee drove to Braxton’s apartment in Temple Hills to exchange the PCP and then drobe to a bowling alley, where Allen got out of the car. Law enforcement stopped Lee a short time later and seized four ounces of PCP from Lee.
Over the course of the conspiracy, Lee was responsible for the distribution of between 100 and 400 grams of PCP. Holland was responsible for the distribution of at least 12 kilograms of PCP and 48 grams of heroin.
Samuel Braxton, a/k/a “Fats,” age 44, of Temple Hills, Maryland, was sentenced on April 3, 2013, to 27 years in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute PCP, crack cocaine, and heroin. Maurice Allen, a/k/a “Reece,” age 45, of Waldorf, Maryland, pleaded guilty and was previously sentenced to a year and a day in prison.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the DEA, FBI, Metropolitan Police Department, and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Christen A. Sproule, Steven E. Swaney, and Arun Rao, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.