FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
November 3, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BALTIMORE HEROIN DEALER AND CAREER OFFENDER SENTENCED
TO OVER 21 YEARS IN PRISON
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr., sentenced Taurus Wiggins, a/k/a “Ock,” age 43, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 262 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. Judge Quarles enhanced Wiggins’ sentence upon finding that he is a career offender based on previous convictions for battery, robbery with a deadly weapon, and possession with intent to distribute narcotics.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Mark R. Chait of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Ava Cooper-Davis of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; and Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III.
According to testimony at the three day trial, Wiggins and others sold heroin in the Penn North section of Baltimore, with average sales of 27 grams of heroin per day during the month of November 25 to December 26, 2008. Evidence showed that law enforcement intercepted telephone conversations of Wiggins and his co-conspirators discussing matters related to the drug conspiracy, such as where to set up their narcotics sales, the level of police activity in the area, the arrests of co-conspirators and how much they were being paid.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF, DEA and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Special Assistant United States Attorney Christine Celeste, a cross-designated Baltimore City Assistant State’s Attorney assigned to drug cases, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip S. Jackson, who prosecuted the case.