Derek Gaines of Severn, Maryland, has been sentenced to 65 months in federal prison for the sale of fentanyl and cocaine. This decision was delivered by the U.S. District Court, following Gaines' guilty plea to the illegal distribution of fentanyl on December 5, 2024. Judge Dabney L. Friedrich has also ordered Gaines to undergo four years of supervised release after serving his prison term.
The case involved transactions with a confidential informant (CI) working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The first incident occurred on April 4, 2024, when Gaines sold cocaine and fentanyl pills to the CI for $4,000. Lab analysis confirmed the substances included cocaine and fentanyl pills weighing 55.78 grams and 59.2 grams, respectively, including packaging.
A subsequent transaction took place on June 6, 2024, wherein Gaines again sold suspected narcotics to the CI. This exchange involved cocaine and fentanyl pills weighing 56.44 grams and 106.69 grams, respectively, costing the CI $6,500.
Another sale of 2,000 fentanyl pills was conducted by Gaines on July 23, 2024, for $8,000. Gaines was subsequently arrested on August 29, 2024, in Severn, Maryland.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, with the investigation led by the ATF's Washington Field Division. Support was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
