Today, U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Justin Riggs, a former Maryland State Trooper, to six years in federal prison for multiple charges including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and bribery under the Travel Act. This sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.
The announcement was made by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, alongside Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski from the FBI's Baltimore Field Office.
Riggs pleaded guilty to charges stemming from his time as a state trooper assigned to investigate drug and gun trafficking in Western Maryland. During this period, he created a fake Facebook account to contact a drug distributor target and attempted to sell information about an informant's identity.
In December 2022, Riggs initiated several electronic conversations with the drug distributor between 2022 and 2023. He informed the distributor that he worked "for a fed agency" and had "tons more info pertaining to your biggest informant." On December 21, Riggs stated: “Theres a big case man... I’m just trying to get paid."
He further suggested an exchange of information for money: “That’s why I need money for the info... Just holler when you want to move forward man.”
On December 22, Riggs continued his attempts even after being told by the distributor that they were no longer involved in drug trafficking: “…So listen... is there anybody trustworthy in your club that would have interest in my services?”
By December 26, Riggs offered additional help regarding investigation details: “Did you pull the tracker off? I can help you by telling you how deep the investigation is..."
Negotiations over payment continued into January 2023. On January 5, $1,500 was picked up on behalf of Riggs at an agreed location.
U.S. Attorney Hayes praised both FBI and MSP for their work on this case and acknowledged ATF and HSI for their assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean R. Delaney prosecuted the case.
For more details about ongoing initiatives from Maryland's U.S Attorney’s Office or available community resources visit justice.gov/usao-md or justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
