United States Drug Enforcement Administration

JUN 17 -- Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus sentenced Robert May, also known as “Chico,” age 49 of Hazzard, Kentucky, today to 151 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine and over 1000 kilograms of marijuana, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to evidence presented in court proceedings, May was part of a drug conspiracy led by Ruben Lopez that operated from January 2004 to February 11, 2006, which was responsible for distributing hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and thousands of kilograms of marijuana from Tucson, Arizona, to customers in Maryland, Ohio, Georgia, Maine, and elsewhere. The drugs were transported primarily by truck.

May was a truck driver who, drove loads of drugs to customers for Lopez. On one such trip, he delivered 800 to 1000 pounds of marijuana to a customer in Detroit, Michigan, and was paid $32,000 by Lopez. Additionally, on Thanksgiving Day 2004, May and a co-conspirator were making a delivery of narcotics to a warehouse in the area of Cleveland, Ohio, at the direction of Lopez. They were hauling over 50 bales of marijuana (approximately 2000 pounds) and at least 60 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a load of watermelons. While some of the drugs were being unloaded, a police officer arrived to investigate, but May was able to convince the officer that they were conducting lawful business, and May and the co-conspirator left. May continued to Maryland, where he delivered marijuana and cocaine to another co-conspirator.

Bruce Kilgore, age 47, of Rockland, Maine, who also delivered drugs for Lopez, was sentenced on June 11, 2008 to 20 years in prison. Twelve other co-defendants in this case have also been convicted of charges related to the drug conspiracy.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration for their investigative work, and commended Assistant United States Attorneys Barbara S. Skalla and Michele W. Sartori, who prosecuted the case.