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Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced David Jesse Hotton, age 35, of Delmar, Maryland today to five years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and cocaine.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gary Tuggle of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and members of the Wicomico County Narcotics Task Force: Colonel Marcus L. Brown, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police, Wicomico County Sheriff Michael A. Lewis, Salisbury Police Chief Barbara, Chief Michael Phillips of the Fruitland Police Department Department and Wicomico County State’s Attorney Matthew Maciarello..
According to his plea agreement, Hotton conspired with Ranson Chandler, Tyson Hobson and Floyd Sykes to distribute and possess with intent to distribute large quantities of crack and powder cocaine. During their investigation, DEA and the Wicomico County Narcotics Task Force overheard Hotton on many occasions transacting drug deals on his cell phone. For example, in September 2012, Hotton was overheard saying that he just got a kilogram of cocaine and was going to cook up half or so of the powder into crack. Also that month, Hotton was overheard agreeing to sell two ounces of cocaine for $3,000.
Hotton admitted that it was foreseeable that he and his co-conspirators distributed more than 280 grams of crack cocaine and more than 500 grams of powder cocaine from June 2012 to November 28, 2012.
Maryland residents Ranson Chandler, Jr., age 37, of Salisbury; Tyson Gabriel Hobson, Sr., age 37, of Princess Anne; and Floyd Lee Sykes, age 35, of Quantico, previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the conspiracy. Judge Hollander sentenced Chandler to 123 months in prison and Sykes to 46 months in prison. Hobson awaits sentencing.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the DEA and 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 the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter J. Martinez, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.