The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today the forfeiture of more than $300,000 from the sale of a drug trafficker’s home. According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, United States District Judge John E. Jones, III, entered a Final Order of Forfeiture on Jan. 14, 2013 in connection with a criminal case pending against Robert Taylor. The court’s order forfeited $341,898.35 to the United States. That sum was the proceeds of the sale of Taylor’s home located at 4216 Herrera Court, Randallstown, Maryland. Those proceeds were held by the United States Marshals Service since the closing on the sale pending the court’s forfeiture order.
Taylor, 37, of Aberdeen, MD and co-defendant, Shawn Duncan, 41, of Harrisburg, came to the attention of authorities following an investigation into drug activity in Harrisburg. Taylor was identified as a source of supply for Duncan. In February of 2012, federal agents made multiple purchases of crack cocaine from co-defendant Duncan. Both Duncan and Taylor were arrested on February 9, 2012 and approximately 9 ounces of crack cocaine was seized.
Taylor and Duncan were indicted by a federal grand jury in Harrisburg in February 2012 with unlawfully distributing both cocaine HCL and crack cocaine as well as criminal conspiracy to do the same. A superseding indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in Harrisburg in March 2012 providing notice of the Government’s intention to forfeit any property that drug proceeds were used to purchase and any property used to commit the offenses. The federal investigation revealed that the proceeds of drug trafficking were used to purchase the Randallstown home.
On Oct. 1, 2012 both Taylor and Duncan pleaded guilty to unlawfully distributing cocaine HCL and crack cocaine. Taylor agreed to the forfeiture of the proceeds of the sale of the Randallstown home. Both defendants await sentencing. Taylor faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life imprisonment. Duncan faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment. Sentencing dates have not yet been scheduled for either defendant.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Harrisburg Resident Office, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Dauphin County Drug Task Force and the East Lampeter Township Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William A. Behe.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
