A Baltimore man has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for his involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy. Rivers Stewart, 55, will also serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Ellen L. Hollander.
According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating the case in June 2021 after receiving information from a confidential source and conducting surveillance. Investigators identified Carlos Scovens as an upper-level drug distributor in the Baltimore area and determined that Stewart was one of his associates.
The investigation included wiretaps and input from confidential informants. Law enforcement intercepted communications between Stewart and Scovens about distributing controlled substances such as fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base.
Authorities observed Stewart, Scovens, Keyshawna Ellis, and other co-conspirators using a residence in Northeast Baltimore as a stash location. On April 18, 2022, officers executed a search warrant at this location and recovered approximately 3,645 grams of fentanyl, 1,000 grams of cocaine, 399 grams of cocaine base, and 500 grams of heroin/fentanyl mixture. Prior to the search, Stewart had possessed significant quantities of fentanyl and heroin/fentanyl mix with intent to distribute.
Additional searches were conducted at other locations linked to meetings between Scovens and Stewart as well as at Stewart’s home. Investigators found $45,413 and $17,925 at separate locations associated with Stewart; these funds are believed to be proceeds from drug sales.
In related cases connected to this investigation: on January 16, 2026 Judge Hollander sentenced Scovens to over eight years in federal prison for conspiracy charges involving fentanyl distribution; Keyshawna Ellis pleaded guilty in December 2024 to similar charges and received a two-year federal prison sentence in May 2025.
The case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative aimed at dismantling criminal cartels and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated efforts among federal agencies.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes acknowledged the work done by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS), Baltimore Police Department (BPD), and Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD). Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaRai Everett and Jon Tsuei for prosecuting the case.
For more details on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office or its community resources visit justice.gov/usao-md or justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
