Baltimore Drug Dealer Sentenced for Distributing Fentanyl—Enough to Kill 20,000 People
Baltimore, Md. – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher today sentenced Joseph Speed, age 28, of Baltimore, Maryland, to seven years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, after Speed pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Speed admitted that between 400 grams and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl were reasonably foreseeable to him and in furtherance of the conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. As little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be a lethal dose.
The guilty plea and sentencing were announced by Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Division; Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the DEA Baltimore District Office; Baltimore City Sheriff John W. Anderson; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.
According to his guilty plea, Speed was part of a drug organization that sold fentanyl in the Baltimore area. On May 20, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Speed’s apartment in Baltimore and recovered approximately 458 grams of fentanyl, a 9mm handgun, $666 in cash, and drug paraphernalia, including cutting agents and gel capsules. Speed admitted that he used these items to facilitate his drug trafficking, including preparing drugs for resale to customers of the drug organization.
On July 23, 2019, law enforcement performed a traffic stop on Speed’s vehicle in Baltimore County. A subsequent search of Speed and his vehicle recovered another 9mm handgun, numerous fentanyl gel caps, and $5,345 in cash.
Finally, on May 15, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Speed’s apartment in Pikesville, Maryland, and recovered a third firearm, a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, as well as a small amount of suspected fentanyl.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason D. Medinger prosecuted the case.
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