FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
February 3, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PIKESVILLE MAN SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON FOR IMPORTING HEROIN
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr., sentenced Suleiman Ahmed Zakaria, age 27, of Pikesville, Maryland, yesterday to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for importing heroin into the United States from Ghana.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations; and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Baltimore Port Director Ricardo Scheller.
According to trial testimony, on January 26, 2010, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Baltimore Washington International Airport inspected Zakaria as he entered the United States from London, England. The flight had originated in Accra, Ghana. Over approximately six pounds of heroin hydrochloride was found concealed within the lining of Zakaria’s luggage.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Peter Nothstein and Kwame Manley, who prosecuted the case.