Baltimore Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Over Seven Years in Federal Prison for Selling Fentanyl and Other Narcotics to Customers Across Four States

Baltimore, Maryland – Yesterday U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Devin Cunningham, age 27, of Baltimore, to 87 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to his guilty plea, Cunningham engaged in a years’ long conspiracy to sell and distribute narcotics including fentanyl, heroin, and other controlled substances in Baltimore.  From January 2017 to December 2020, scores of customers from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia traveled to the Forest Park area of Baltimore and purchased between a half of a gram and several grams of fentanyl or heroin and other controlled substances from Cunningham and his associates.

As part of their investigation, law enforcement conducted numerous controlled narcotics purchases from Cunningham and his co-conspirators.  In four of the controlled purchases, Cunningham either distributed or participated in the distribution of narcotics, including fentanyl, to a confidential informant.  For example, on July 24, 2018, Cunningham and an accomplice sold less than two grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin to a confidential informant for $200.

As stated in his plea agreement, Cunningham continued to sell heroin and fentanyl until his arrest in December 2020.  During his arrest, agents seized a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, four cell phones, and approximately several thousand dollars cash.  Law enforcement also executed a search warrant on the vehicle that Cunningham operated and recovered several items including drug packaging materials, labeling materials, digital scales, approximately 68 grams of fentanyl, approximately 41 grams of a heroin/tramadol mixture, and approximately 383 grams of marijuana.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, DEA, and FBI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron also thanked the Montgomery County Police Department for their assistance.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher M. Rigali, who is prosecuting 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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