Baltimore, Maryland - Richard Drummond, age 38, of Hyattsville, Maryland pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to engage in money laundering.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gary Tuggle of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; Colonel Michael Kundrat, Chief of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Kelly of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Ivan Arvelo of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
According to Drummond’s plea agreement, he conspired with others to launder the proceeds from the sale of marijuana. The conspiracy distributed large quantities of marijuana in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio and elsewhere, which generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds. Richard Drummond’s role in the conspiracy was to gather proceeds from various locations and deliver the cash to his co-conspirators. The proceeds were then deposited in various bank accounts, often in amounts exceeding $10,000, and transferred elsewhere to pay for the acquisition of additional drugs or to fund other activities by members of the conspiracy. Drummond admitted that he laundered between $200,000 and $400,000.
For example, on Sept. 10, 2013, Drummond drove from Maryland to Ohio and took delivery of a white trash bag from a man at a gas station in Cincinnati, Ohio. Drummond then drove to a Family Dollar store and purchased a bag of rubber bands, and returned to his hotel. The following day, Sept. 11, 2013, Drummond was stopped by officers of the Ohio Highway Patrol after he left Cincinnati. When he was stopped by police, Drummond had $96,500 in cash, separated into bundles held together by rubber bands. Extra rubber bands were also found in the vehicle. Drummond then drove back to Maryland. The next day Drummond met with a co-conspirator at a restaurant in Laurel, Maryland.
On Oct. 31, 2013, Drummond traveled from California to Phoenix, Arizona with a co-conspirator. After police conducted surveillance, the vehicle operated by Drummond was stopped and the police recovered approximately $58,000 in cash, along with approximately 27 cellular phones, and an airline boarding pass in the name of the co-conspirator. Drug notations and tally sheets were also recovered, indicating that Drummond and his co-conspirator were engaged in the distribution of marijuana.
Drummond faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the money laundering conspiracy. As part of his plea agreement, Drummond will also be required to forfeit the cash seized during the 2013 traffic stops, totaling $154,500, as well as any assets derived from, acquired as a result of, or used to facilitate the commission of the money laundering or drug distribution conspiracies. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for Aug. 14, 2015 at 10:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the DEA, Baltimore County Police Department, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, IRS-Criminal Investigation and HSI-Baltimore for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys James G. Warwick and Kenneth S. Clark, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
