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On Wednesday, Feb. 15, the AG’s Office announced charges for six suspects who were involved in the drug conspiracy that led to the seizure of nearly $500,000 worth of narcotics in Maryland.
Those charged:
- Latrava Kinney, 39, of Houston;
- Lawrence Nauls, 45, of Houston;
- Jayson Rhodes, 49, of Houston;
- Medford Smith, 42, of Baltimore;
- Sherrod Stokes, 43, of Baltimore;
- Maurice Farmer, 47, of Baltimore.
The investigation determined that between July 2022 and October 2022, members of the conspiracy from Texas served as couriers for the national drug organization.
They worked in tandem to traffic multiple kilograms of cocaine from Texas to Baltimore County, officials said, and the three made “regular trips” from Houston to Baltimore to offload “large quantities” of narcotics into a safe house being maintained by the organization.
According to the AG, Smith, and Stokes, who were described as local distributors, would pick up the drugs and transport them to separate locations to be broken down for street-level distribution around the county.
Investigators from the DEA’s High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Unit executed warrants on multiple stash locations and vehicles in Maryland that led to the seizure of:
- 15 kilograms of cocaine;
- 400 grams of crack cocaine;
- 10 firearms, including two assault-style rifles and a fully-automatic Glock 30 handgun;
- Heat sealer;
- Face masks;
- Rubber gloves;
- Kilogram press;
- Digital scales;
- Kilogram wrappers;
- A money counter believed to be used for repackaging the bulk narcotics for street-level distribution.
- More than $493,000 in drug money.
“The flow of narcotics and firearms into our communities must stop,” Brown said. “Disrupting this large-scale interstate drug trafficking ring is a tremendous step toward restoring peace and public safety.”
Kinney, Lawrence, and Rhodes have been charged with:
- Conspiracy;
- Participation in a criminal organization;
- Volume dealer;
- Distribution of cocaine;
- Possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute;
- Use of firearms in a drug trafficking crime;
- Drug proceeds.
Smith, who received more than seven kilograms of cocaine while maintaining a Baltimore County safe house, was charged with:
- Conspiracy;
- Supervising a criminal organization;
- Drug kingpin;
- Volume dealer;
- Possession of a machine gun for an aggressive purpose;
- Possession of an assault weapon;
- Use of firearms in a drug trafficking crime.
Stokes and Farmer were charged with:
- Participation in a criminal organization;
- Volume dealer;
- Possession with intent to distribute;
- “Related charges.”
“Illegal drug distribution affects the very foundation of our families and communities so every time we take cocaine and firearms off the street, lives are saved,” DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forgot added.
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