Baltimore County father and son sentenced for laundering drug trafficking Bitcoin proceeds intended for federal forfeiture

GREENBELT, MD—A father and son have been sentenced to prison for laundering drug trafficking Bitcoin proceeds. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has sentenced Joseph Farace, age 72, of Sparks, to 19 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for a money laundering conspiracy. On January 5, 2023, Judge Griggsby sentenced his son, Ryan Farace, age […]

Attorney General Brown announces seizure of 37 firearms, more than 8 kilograms of fentanyl

BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown this week announced the indictments of four individuals for their roles in a criminal enterprise responsible for trafficking large amounts of fentanyl and cocaine. The investigation resulted in the seizure of 37 firearms, including three assault weapons, three handguns equipped with Glock switch attachments (allowing them to operate as fully automatic weapons), over […]

Baltimore County men plead guilty in contraband conspiracy at Jessup Correctional Institution

BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown on Friday announced that all eleven defendants who were indicted in March 2023 for a prison contraband conspiracy operating at Jessup Correctional Institution in Anne Arundel County have pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. The investigation was led by the Maryland Office of the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Unit, the Department […]

Seven members of violent multi-state robbery crew indicted

WASHINGTON—An indictment was unsealed on Thursday charging seven members of an armed robbery crew with conspiracy, Hobbs Act robbery, and other charges related to a multi-state robbery spree that targeted pharmacy and cell phone retail stores. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Sarah Linden, of the Washington Field Office’s […]

Maryland’s ‘Operation Washout’ results in 95 fugitive arrests

BALTIMORE, MD—The U.S. Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, District of Maryland, and task force partners conducted a large-scale, multi-agency law enforcement operation focused on apprehending violent fugitives and wanted gang members throughout the month of May, arresting dozens of violent offenders throughout Maryland. Operation Washout – Maryland resulted in a total of 95 fugitive arrests, including 17 […]

Baltimore man sentenced to prison in connection with counterfeit card encoding scheme

BALTIMORE, MD—A Baltimore man has been sentenced to prison for his role in a counterfeit card encoding scheme. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has sentenced Leroy Holmes, 62, of Baltimore, to 57 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for bank fraud in connection with a scheme to re-encode credit cards, debit cards and […]

Baltimore County, Harford County men sentenced to prison for their roles in drug trafficking ring

BALTIMORE, MD—A man from Baltimore County and a man from Harford County have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a drug trafficking ring. U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin on Wednesday sentenced Jermaine Steward, 33, of Gwynn Oak, to nine years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, after Steward pleaded guilty to federal charges […]

Parkville, Middle River men indicted in contraband conspiracy at Jessup Correctional Institution

UPDATE: All of the defendants have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced. Original story below… BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown on Wednesday announced that eleven people were indicted for a prison contraband conspiracy operating at Jessup Correctional Institution in Anne Arundel County. The investigation was led by the Maryland Office of the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Unit, the […]