Drug Dealer Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison in Scheme to Distribute More than 330 Pounds of Cocaine

Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. sentenced Juan Nunez, age 34, of Baltimore to 135 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Nunez pleaded guilty at the start of his trial in August, 2009.

According to Nunez’s plea agreement and court documents, from March 2006 through August 2008, Nunez and several co-defendants distributed more than 330 pounds of cocaine to customers in the Baltimore area. Nunez sold and used vehicles designed with hidden compartments to hide packages of cocaine from law enforcement. Nunez and his co-conspirators also received and distributed large quantities of cocaine among themselves and others in the Baltimore area.

Seven other defendants have pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy. William Leonardo Graham, age 42, of Essex, Maryland, was convicted by a federal jury on August 19, 2009 and sentenced on November 6, 2009 to life in prison. Otis Rich, age 34, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced on January 9, 2009 to 188 months in prison. Marcos Galindo, age 33, of Arizona pleaded guilty at the start of trial. Justin Gallardo, age 27, of Arizona and Lawrence Reeves, age 38, of Odenton, Maryland also await sentencing for their participation in the conspiracy. Devon Marshall, age 38, of Abingdon, Maryland pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and to being a felon in possession of a firearm and faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, followed by a mandatory minimum term of supervised release of ten years. Nathaniel Lee Jones, age 27, of Baltimore, Maryland pleaded guilty to related state charges and awaits sentencing.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked Baltimore City State’s Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy and Assistant State’s Attorney Antonio Gioia, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Baltimore City Police Department for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorneys George J. Hazel and Bryan Giblin, who prosecuted the case.