Gaithersburg Man Admits to Selling Heroin to a Customer Who Died From Overdose

Greenbelt, Maryland – Nathaniel Wright, Jr., age 58, of Gaithersburg, Maryland pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge William P. McMullan of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, from at least June 2013 until his arrest in April 2015, Wright distributed heroin he had obtained from sources to heroin addicts.  Wright had multiple customers who would purchase between one-half to two grams from him a week.

On June 14, 2013, Wright sold an individual a gram of heroin for $100.  Later that evening and after ingesting the heroin, the individual died as a result of alcohol and narcotic intoxication.

Wright also admitted that on 16 occasions he sold a total of 22 grams of heroin to two confidential sources.

During his participation in the drug conspiracy, Wright was responsible for the distribution of between 400 and 700 grams of heroin.

Wright faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.   U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for February 1, 2016 at 2:00 p.m.

Ronald Bryant, a/k/a “Dean,” age 46, of Montgomery Village, Maryland; and Carlos Brandon Peoples, a/k/a “Los,” age 29, of Washington, D.C., previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the conspiracy and are scheduled to be sentenced on December 21 and November 2, 2015, respectively, both at 2:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF and Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah A. Johnston and Mara Z. Greenberg, who are prosecuting the case.