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Markus Carter, 22, of Silver Spring, was sentenced to 32 years in prison, with all but 12 years suspended, after pleading guilty to several drug and firearm charges, according to Montgomery County prosecutors.
Carter was arrested after investigators found more than 2,000 fentanyl pills in his possession along with an illegal firearm.
His downfall began at approximately 3:15 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, when officers conducted a traffic stop on a silver Mercedes-Benz sedan in the 12300 block of Georgia Avenue.
At the time of the stop, Carter, then 20, was driving with two other passengers, an 18-year-old and 20-year-old man, investigators noted.
During the subsequent stop, police say that officers obtained probable cause to search the vehicle, which led to the seizure of:
- 250 suspected fentanyl pills;
- Other items indicative of drug distribution;
- Additional fentanyl pills on Carter’s person;
- More than $1,100 in cash;
- Loaded .45 caliber handgun.
Later that night, detectives executed a search warrant at Carter’s Silver Spring home, which led to the recovery of an additional 1,800 suspected fentanyl pills, more cash, and additional drug distributing materials.
Fentanyl
Carter was initially charged with "a number of criminal offenses including illegal possession of a firearm, and possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute."
There were no charges for the other two passengers in the vehicle at the time of the stop.
“The Drug Enforcement Administration frequently warns ‘one pill can kill,’ former Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones said at the time of his arrest. “Here, we have one arrest with over 2000 pills seized.
“We never will be able to truly quantify the number of lives that were saved as a direct result of this traffic stop, but without question, this stop saved lives in our community,” the chief continued.
"Fentanyl overdoses, not to mention the violence associated with drug sales and firearms, are a danger to our entire community."
Carter pleaded guilty on May 8, 2024, to possession of a large amount of fentanyl, illegal possession of a regulated firearm, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
On top of those charges, Carter was also found to be in violation of his probation. He remains pending trial in a separate case involving the distribution of synthetic cannabinoids.
Upon release, he will also be placed on five years of supervised probation.
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