Baltimore Drug Dealer Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell sentenced Gregory Jones, age 44, of Lithonia, Georgia to eight years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute narcotics and conspiracy to commit money laundering. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Chief Daniel DeWolf of the Troy Police Department (New York).

According to his plea agreement, from 2017 to February 2019, Jones conspired with others to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and other narcotics in Maryland.

During an investigation conducted by the FBI and Maryland state investigators, investigators worked with a confidential informant who regularly engaged with the conspiracy. Throughout the investigation law enforcement monitored and recorded phone calls between the confidential informant and a co-conspirator of Gregory Jones. In these phone calls the informant and co-conspirator frequently discussed ongoing or future drug deals. Additionally, on at least two occasions, investigators arranged controlled purchases of heroin from the co-conspirator.

In 2018, investigators began a wiretap of Jones’s and the co-conspirator’s cell phones.  During the wiretaps, Jones frequently engaged in phone calls with the co-conspirator and with customers. During the communications, Jones arranged to distribute narcotics to customers or acquired money from customers, often by having the co-conspirator conduct the transactions.

For example, on January 11, 2019, the co-conspirator contacted Jones and the co-conspirator engaged in a phone call. During the call, the two discussed numbers in a manner that indicated they were talking about quantities of narcotics. At one point in the conversation, Jones instructed the co-conspirator to “take those two, that 30 and that 11 and mix those together. Like run them through the strainer a couple times like how you did the joint last time.” Jones further instructed the co-conspirator to “mix those two together and then you gonna take that to him.” 

Later that day, law enforcement observed the co-conspirator enter a car and began driving. While the co-conspirator was in route to their intended destination, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the co-conspirator’s vehicle. The vehicle was then scanned by a police canine that alerted a positive response for the presence of narcotics. Upon a search of the vehicle, investigators found 38.96 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture.

Jones agrees that the conspiracy involved the distribution of at least 700 grams of heroin.

Further, the federal and state investigation into Jones’ drug trafficking conspiracy revealed that the organization also engaged in in a conspiracy to commit money laundering in furtherance of narcotics activity. Jones and other members of the conspiracy would plan and/or conduct financial transactions, including the payment of money to drug suppliers, to promote and carry on the narcotics conspiracy. The organization transmitted narcotics profits through various means, including by sending wire transmissions of money. 

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.               

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the FBI, the Maryland State Police, the Cumberland Police Department, the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office, the Troy Police Department (New York), and the West Virginia Potomac Highlands Violent Crime and Drug Task Force for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Hanlon and Lindsey McCulley, who prosecuted the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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