Maryland Man Sentenced To More Than 10 Years In Prison For Federal Narcotics Conspiracy Charge-Defendant Also Must Forfeit Two Vehicles And Over $20,000-

     WASHINGTON - Ralph Terry, 42, of Germantown, Md., was sentenced today to 10 years and 10 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine in the Washington, D.C. area, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.

     Terry pled guilty in February 2014, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, also known as crack. The plea, which called for a sentence of 100 to 151 months of incarceration, was approved by the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson. Upon completion of his prison term, Terry will be placed on three years of supervised release.

     According to the evidence presented at the plea hearing, during the fall of 2012, Terry conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute in the District of Columbia and its surrounding areas, cocaine and cocaine base, also known as crack.    

     This investigation arose on the evening of Nov. 29, 2012, in Northeast Washington. At that time, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) conducted a search at Second and Adams Streets NE of the GMC Yukon driven and owned by Terry.  During the course of that search, officers recovered, among other items, over 40 grams of crack cocaine and $17,391.  The recovered money was proceeds of Terry’s narcotics trafficking activities. 

     On Dec. 11, 2012, with the assistance of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, a search warrant was executed at Terry’s residence in Maryland. Law enforcement recovered, among other items, $2,830 in cash and the key to an Oldsmobile Cutlass, located at the residence. A search warrant was subsequently executed on the Oldsmobile, and inside that vehicle, law enforcement recovered over 170 grams of crack cocaine, over 245 grams of powder cocaine, and digital scales.  The money was proceeds of the narcotics activities.

     As part of his plea agreement, Terry agreed to the forfeiture of the GMC Yukon, the Oldsmobile, the $17,391 recovered on Nov. 29, 2012, and the $2,830 seized on Dec. 11, 2012.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the efforts of the members of the Metropolitan Police Department and the actions of the Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, who investigated this case.  U.S. Attorney Machen also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Opher Shweiki, who prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine K. Connelly, who assisted with forfeiture aspects of the investigation.