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Four people have been arrested for their roles in a massive conspiracy to traffic large amounts of drugs through the region, according to AG Anthony Brown on Monday.
Those charged include Ronald Rawles, 35, of Baltimore, and Corey Frazier, 37, of Howard County, who "acted as large-scale distributors of narcotics for the drug trafficking organization.
"These individuals not only possessed a cache of firearms, but transported large volumes of deadly narcotics into our community without any regard of the health and safety of others," Brown said.
They were both charged with:
Conspiracy;
- Participation in a criminal organization;
- Volume dealer;
- Distribution of fentanyl;
- Possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute;
- Possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute;
- Use of firearms in a drug trafficking crime;
- Illegal possession of regulated firearms.
Two others, who have not been apprehended, received the drugs from Rawles and Frazier, then repackaged them for sales on the street," Brown said. They are facing similar drug and weapon charges.
According to the indictment, beginning in August 2022 through July 2023, Rawles and Frazier operated out of multiple stash houses for drugs and weapons in luxury apartment buildings in Baltimore and Howard County.
They would then supply mid-level dealers with bulk amounts of the narcotics, which were broken down and packaged for distribution.
When detectives executed search and seizure warrants at multiple stash locations, including Rawles' home, he attempted to flee by climbing off his eighth-story balcony, which left him hospitalized with various injuries.
The investigation led to the seizure of:
37 firearms - including three assault weapons, and three handguns equipped to operate as fully automatic;
- More than 1,000 rounds of ammunition;
- Body armor;
- 8.5 kilograms of fentanyl;
- 3 kilograms of cocaine;
- Kilogram presses;
- Drug ledgers;
- More than $308,000 in drug proceeds.
"These criminal organizations profit by pushing dangerous and deadly drugs such as fentanyl into neighborhoods throughout Maryland, disregarding the value of human life," DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget stated.
"Considering that only 2mg of fentanyl is enough to kill a person - a very small quantity that can fit in the tip of a pencil - the amoung of fentanyl seized during the operation could have killed over four million citizens."
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