Drug Trafficker In Eastern Shore Ring Sentenced To 16 Years In Prison

Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Maurice Kenneth Hardy, age 37, of Bridgeville, Delaware, today to 16 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine and cocaine base (crack cocaine).

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Karl C. Colder of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; Colonel Marcus L. Brown, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Wicomico County Sheriff Michael A. Lewis; Salisbury Police Chief Barbara Duncan; Chief Michael Phillips of the Fruitland Police Department; U.S. Marshal Johnny Hughes; and Wicomico County State’s Attorney Matthew Maciarello.

According to his guilty plea, from 2009 until his arrest on June 29, 2011, Hardy conspired to sell heroin and cocaine with, or distributed the drugs to, Tereek Nutter and others. Austin Roberts was his primary source of supply. For example, on May 11, 2011, Hardy indicated in a telephone call with a co-conspirator that Roberts would be supplying him with seven kilograms of cocaine for $31,500 per kilogram. The next day in Salisbury, Maryland, Andrew Jackson, under Roberts’ direction, provided several kilograms of cocaine to Hardy. Subsequent to this meeting, law enforcement stopped Jackson’s vehicle and seized over $160,000 from a hidden compartment.

On June 29, 2011, after Hardy obtained 1.027 kilograms of cocaine from a co-conspirator, law enforcement stopped Hardy’s car and seized the cocaine. Law enforcement also executed a search warrant at Hardy’s home and a stash house used by Hardy, and seized a loaded handgun, ammunition, a digital scale, over $10,000, 82.4 grams of cocaine, 41.7 grams of heroin, a pocket scale and a large cocaine press.

During the course of the conspiracy, Hardy and his co-conspirators distributed over 15 kilograms of cocaine, a kilogram of heroin and a quantity of cocaine base.

Austin Roberts, III, age 37, formerly of Elkridge, Maryland; Andrew Jackson, age 39, of Baltimore, Maryland; and Tereek Nutter, age 30, of Salisbury, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the drug conspiracy. Judge Hollander sentenced Jackson to 10 years in prison, Nutter to 151 months in prison and scheduled Roberts’ sentencing for August 9, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and the Wicomico County Narcotics Task Force, comprised of the Maryland State Police, Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, Salisbury Police Department, Fruitland Police Department, and the Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in this investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Joshua L. Kaul, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.