AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC at 410-209-4885

June 16, 2006

LEADER OF ANNAPOLIS AREA COCAINE DISTRIBUTION ORGANIZATION SENTENCED TO OVER 17 YEARS IN PRISON

Organization Distributed Over 150 Kilograms of Cocaine From 2001 to 2004

BALTIMORE, Maryland - Deandre Myers, age 27, of Annapolis, Maryland was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz to 209 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to the statement of facts presented at his guilty plea on May 5, 2005, from about November, 2001 until January, 2004, Deandre Myers conspired with Keith Brown and several others to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute kilograms of cocaine and cocaine base in New York City, New York and Annapolis, Maryland. Myers and Brown, have been involved in the distribution of crack cocaine in the housing projects of Annapolis and Eastport, Maryland since late 2001. Myers took over the organization after its original leader was prosecuted and incarcerated. Myers recruited Brown into the organization as a courier of cocaine and as a cooker of powder cocaine into crack. Both Myers and Brown began soliciting friends and addicts from the Annapolis housing projects to travel to New York City by train to bring powder cocaine from New York to Maryland for later distribution as crack cocaine. Myers and Brown would provide the couriers with money and would instruct them on where to go once they arrived in New York and what amount to purchase. When the couriers would return with the product, they were instructed to meet with Myers and Brown at a predetermined location where the drugs would be cooked into crack and the couriers would be paid, in both cash and drugs. Investigation revealed that on average, each run to New York City would result in the importation of at least one kilogram of powder cocaine into Maryland. From 2001 to 2004, this organization was responsible for the importation and distribution of at least 150 kilograms of cocaine.

Keith Brown, age 47, of Annapolis, also pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on March 24, 2006 to 235 months in prison.

U.S. Attorney Rosenstein praised the Annapolis Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force, who participated in this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation, and Assistant United States Attorneys Debra L. Dwyer and George L. Russell, III, who prosecuted the case.