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FENTANYL DEALER SENTENCED TO OVER 11 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Querida Moran, age 53, of Owings Mills, to 135 months’ imprisonment in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. Moran pled guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute two kilograms of fentanyl and over 50 kilograms of cocaine recovered from a storage unit and from her purse in August 2023. Moran was on federal supervised release at the time.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, made the announcement with Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian, of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (“DEA”) Washington Division.
According to the guilty plea, in 2023, the DEA identified Moran as a source of supply for numerous drug traffickers in the Baltimore region. During the investigation, agents watched Moran conduct numerous drug transactions. For example, on July 26, 2023, Moran drove her SUV to a restaurant parking lot in Arundel Mills, Maryland. While in the parking lot, a Subaru arrived and parked. Moran walked over to the Subaru, gave the driver a bag, and returned to her SUV. Both vehicles drove away in different directions. Agents followed the Subaru and initiated a traffic stop. A probable cause search followed, and they recovered 100 grams of fentanyl from the driver.
A week later, on August 1, 2023, agents were monitoring the GPS tracking device on Moran’s SUV as she drove to a Travel Plaza and parked near the area where tractor trailers park. From there, Moran drove directly to a storage center. Agents watched the video footage from the storage center and saw Moran transport two large duffle bags and a cardboard box to her storage unit.
The next day, Moran returned to her storage unit and left with a black suitcase. After leaving the storage unit, agents watched Moran conduct multiple drug transactions. In response, they obtained search warrants, which included Moran’s storage unit and her residence.
On August 3, 2023, agents searched Moran’s storage unit and recovered fifty kilograms of cocaine and two kilograms of fentanyl. After the search, Moran was arrested at a separate location from the storage unit. Agents searched Moran’s purse and recovered two additional kilograms of cocaine. A forensic analysis of the drugs recovered confirmed two kilograms of fentanyl and fifty kilograms of cocaine was in Moran’s storage unit and two kilograms of cocaine was in her purse. On the same date, agents searched Moran’s residence, located in Owings Mills, Maryland. Agents seized approximately $56,000 in U.S. currency from the apartment. The seized currency constituted proceeds of Moran’s drug trafficking activity or was used, or intended to be used, to facilitate Moran’s drug offense.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant United States Attorney Calvin C. Miner, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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