New York Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison For Trafficking Crack Cocaine

Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. sentenced Luis Ahorrio, age 37, of Queens, New York, today to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine, and possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Colonel Marcus L. Brown, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Special Agent in Charge Ava Cooper-Davis of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division.

According to evidence presented at the week-long trial, Ahorrio and co-conspirator Timothy Wilson left Wilson’s home in New Jersey in a rental car. Several hours later, Maryland State Police troopers stopped their vehicle on Route 113 in Worcester County, Maryland for driving above the speed limit and following a vehicle too closely. Ahorrio and Wilson appeared nervous. Upon reviewing the car rental agreement, one of the troopers noticed that Wilson, the passenger, was the only authorized driver of the vehicle.

A canine search of the car revealed a bag under the passenger side seat filled with ziplock bags that contained a total of 327.9 grams of cocaine base. Ahorrio and Wilson testified at trial that they had no knowledge of the cocaine base. The jury, however, concluded that Wilson and Ahorrio had knowingly conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute the crack cocaine found in the car, and that they both knowingly possessed that crack cocaine with the intent to distribute. Judge Quarles also found that Ahorrio’s denial of knowledge of the drugs in the car constituted an attempt to obstruct justice.

Timothy Wilson, age 43, of Toms River, New Jersey was sentenced to10 years in prison on March 7, 2012, for the conspiracy and for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended ICE HSI, the Maryland State Police and DEA for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua L. Kaul, Robert Harding and Christopher Romano, who prosecuted the case.