Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Thomas Merrick, age 37, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 138 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) - Baltimore District Office; and Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to Merrick’s plea agreement, during 2016 and 2017, investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) conducted an investigation of drug-trafficking in the Baltimore area and elsewhere. Merrick was identified as a member of a drug distribution conspiracy whose members purchased narcotics from suppliers in Mexico, arranged for the importation of the narcotics into the United States, and distributed the narcotics in the Baltimore area. Merrick was captured on wiretaps during which he and his accomplices were overheard by law enforcement planning and discussing drug transactions over cellular phones, including text messages and voice calls. Law enforcement also conducted physical surveillance of Merrick and his co-conspirators’ activities and made drug seizures from various locations used by the conspirators.
For example, during early 2017, investigators conducted a court-authorized wiretap on a cellular phone used by a member of the conspiracy. The co-conspirator acquired heroin and fentanyl from suppliers. On multiple occasions, investigators overheard the co-conspirator planning to receive narcotics. The co-conspirator would then make arrangements with his accomplices, including Merrick, to receive the narcotics and to distribute the narcotics to customers.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the DEA and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Hanlon, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
