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

FEBRUARY 27, 2007

NEW YORK MAN SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON IN MULTI-STATE DRUG TRAFFICKING SCHEME

Greenbelt, Maryland - Edward Barber, age 43, of the Bronx, New York was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine in connection with a large drug trafficking enterprise operating in Maryland, the District of Columbia, New York and elsewhere, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. U.S. District Court Judge Roger W. Titus also ordered Barber to pay a fine of $35,000.

According to the statement of facts provided to the court on December 2, 2006 as part of his plea agreement, from at least January 2004 through May 8, 2004, Barber, Luis Mangual, Jr. and others conspired to distribute cocaine. Between February and April 26, 2004, Barber, using couriers, sent multiple kilograms of cocaine to Mangual in Maryland and Washington, D.C. On May 8, 2004, Barber attempted to transport $43,000 in drug proceeds from Maryland to New York. However agents seized the funds from Barber's vehicle while it was parked in a Baltimore parking garage.

Barber was one of 30 defendants convicted in this multistate drug trafficking scheme. According to evidence presented during the trials and guilty pleas of the other 29 defendants, the conspiracy lasted from January 1997 to June 2004 to distribute cocaine, heroin and cocaine base, with kilogram quantities of cocaine being imported from New York, California, Wyoming, Florida, Texas and Mexico. During the course of the investigation over 20 kilograms of cocaine and over 3 kilograms of heroin were seized. Luis Mangual, Jr., age 46, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 150 kilograms of cocaine and more than 1.5 kilograms of crack cocaine and was sentenced to life in prison. Other co-defendants have been sentenced to between 135 months and life in prison and several others are awaiting sentencing.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the investigative work performed by the agencies in this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case, including the Prince George’s and Montgomery County Police Departments; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation; the Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force; Bureau of Customs and Border Protection; Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Howard County Police Departments; and the Maryland State Police. Mr. Rosenstein also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah A. Johnston and Bonnie S. Greenberg, who are prosecuting the case.