Terrell Ridgley, a 34-year-old resident of Perry Hall, Maryland, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The sentence was handed down by District Judge Adam B. Abelson.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland, along with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley, and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS).
According to Ridgley's guilty plea, he participated in a drug trafficking organization led by co-defendant Tyon Bailey. In late 2023 and early 2024, an undercover agent purchased fentanyl from Bailey on several occasions while authorities observed Ridgley meeting with Bailey and other members of the group. On January 3, 2024, law enforcement saw Ridgley leave a vehicle carrying what appeared to be controlled substances; a K-9 scan later confirmed narcotics were present.
On February 12, after crashing his vehicle on I-695, Ridgley met with Bailey and another associate at an auto repair shop where law enforcement recovered about 250 grams of fentanyl, 100 grams of cocaine, cash, jewelry from Bailey, and a loaded Glock firearm from a nearby vehicle associated with them.
In August 2024, wiretap interceptions recorded Ridgley discussing fentanyl distribution with Bailey. He referred specifically to "blue stuff" stored at Bailey’s residence—some fentanyl sold undercover was blue powder.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ridgley's Perry Hall home on October 3. Investigators saw him attempting to flush purple fentanyl down the toilet but managed to recover some of it along with bags containing mixtures in purple, blue, and white colors.
In total over 400 grams of fentanyl as well as cocaine were seized from Ridgley's residence alongside cutting agents used for preparing drugs for sale. Ridgley admitted that he possessed the drugs intending to distribute them.
Sentencing hearings for co-defendants Tyon Bailey and Jaron Rhodes are scheduled for September 24 and October 15 respectively.
The case is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative which brings together multiple agencies to disrupt major drug traffickers through intelligence-driven operations across jurisdictions. The Baltimore Strike Force includes federal agencies such as DEA and FBI as well as local police departments like Baltimore Police Department and county police units; prosecutions are led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, BPD, and DPSCS for their work on this investigation: "Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. O’Donohue III, who is prosecuting the case."
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