The central mission of the Narcotics Section is to investigate and prosecute major organizations, including international and interstate narcotics traffickers, methamphetamine and ecstacy labs, and urban street gangs responsible for violent crimes. Most of the international and interstate investigations are Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force cases involving multiple law enforcement agencies, especially the DEA, ATF, FBI, ICE and the IRS. These investigations often are related to cases in other jurisdictions, so that coordination between prosecutors and agencies is important.

The Narcotics Section makes frequent use of Title III wiretaps and undercover agents to penetrate organizations and gather evidence. It also uses extradition powers to prosecute foreign smugglers who conspire to ship illegal drugs into the United States.

The Narcotics Section also targets major money laundering operations, especially ones that transmit drug proceeds overseas. Through attention to asset forfeiture the Section strives to ensure that traffickers and their families never benefit financially from their crimes. Police corruption is uncommon but typically fueled by the proceeds of narcotics trafficking, and the Narcotics Section believes that federal investigation is especially appropriate in those rare cases where local officials have been corrupted by drug trafficking. Physicians and pharmacies that violate criminal laws regulating prescription drugs also are investigated and prosecuted by the Narcotics Section.

The Section also focuses on street gangs that traffic in narcotics and commit violent crimes. In these cases, the Section works closely with local police departments and the Maryland State Police, as well as federal agencies.

The Fraud and Public Corruption Section prosecutes two broad categories of cases.

Fraud victimizes consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and public agencies through a broad array of sophisticated scams to cheat victims of money or property. Fraud schemes are a significant drain on our economy and can be personally devastating to individuals who lose money or property. This Office prosecutes telemarketing fraud, corporate fraud, mortgage fraud, fraud on financial institutions, government contracting fraud, tax fraud, insurance fraud such as staged automobile accident fraud and arson for profit, bankruptcy fraud, investment fraud schemes involving securities and commodities, and internet fraud.

Public corruption violates the trust between the public and government employees or elected officials whose responsibility is to serve the public trust, and not their private interests. This Office vigorously prosecutes federal, state and local officials who act corruptly in the performance of their duties or the conduct of their offices.

Most of the fraud and public corruption cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office are investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, Immigration/Customs Enforcement, and the Inspector Generals of many government agencies.