FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACTAUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885

APRIL 20, 2007

CECIL COUNTY DRUG DEALER SENTENCED TO OVER 11 YEARS IN PRISON

Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Lemonte Brown, age 30, of Elkton, Maryland, today to 135 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to his guilty plea, between January 2004 and April 27, 2006, Brown, Nigel Baptiste, Larry Brown, and Tylon Estep conspired to distribute crack cocaine and powder cocaine in the Winding Brook community in Elkton and in other areas of Cecil County. Recorded conversations between Brown and his co-conspirators show Brown ordered or arranged for the purchase, delivery or payment for fifteen to fifty kilograms of cocaine during the course of the conspiracy.

For example, on November 18, 2005, Larry Brown purchased four kilos of cocaine and on November 19, 2005 Brown distributed one of these kilos of cocaine to Lemonte Brown. On December 26, 2005, Larry Brown was intercepted in a call with Lemonte Brown asking him to get a price for an order of four or five kilograms of cocaine from his source. Immediately after that call from Larry Brown, Lemonte Brown called his source of supply, then called Larry Brown and told him that the price was $21,750 per kilo. On December 27, 2005, surveillance teams followed Lemonte Brown from his residence to a shopping center in Delaware where he was observed meeting with his supplier. As he returned to his car, Lemonte Brown was seen reaching behind the driver’s seat and placing an object on the seat. Agents followed Brown back to his residence, stopped him and searched his home and the car he drove to the meeting. The agents recovered a kilo of cocaine from a compartment built into the rear passenger area of the car and a cellphone, that Brown used to arrange the distribution of cocaine to Tylon Estep on October 22 and October 28, 2005. Various items of drug paraphernalia, including packaging materials, ammunition and scales were also found in Brown’s residence.

Larry Douglas Brown, age 45, of Strausburg, Pennsylvania was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine. Nigel Baptiste, age 41, of New Castle, Delaware, was convicted on February 21, 2007 of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine and four counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Baptiste is facing a minimum mandatory sentence of 20 years imprisonment and up to life imprisonment without parole at his sentencing on May 4, 2007. Tylon Gamal Estep, age 28; of Elkton, pleaded guilty to drug charges and is awaiting sentencing.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the investigative work performed by the Cecil County Sheriff’s Department, the Maryland State Police, the Elkton Police Department and the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys John F. Purcell, Jr. and Philip S. Jackson, who are prosecuting the case.