Glen Burnie Man Sentenced to Over Four Years in Prison for Leading a Drug Distribution Conspiracy

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz sentenced Alex Raymond Valerio, age 36, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, today to 51 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare.

According to Valerio’s plea agreement, from at least May 2013 through July 23, 2014, he was the leader of a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, heroin, and powder cocaine in Baltimore and Anne Arundel County, Maryland.  His co-conspirators included Joseph Melendez, Marc Gaston, Moises Rosario, Eddie Eusebio Mateo, Ronald Francis Wosk Jr., James Maurice McCants, Keith Joseph Herring, Robert James Bookhamer, Dartanon Antione Gaines, Marvin Michael Desormeaux, and others. 

Valerio obtained heroin and cocaine from Melendez, Gaston, and others in the New York area.  Valerio either met with these suppliers personally or directed Rosario or Mateo to meet with them on his behalf.  Valerio coordinated the quantity and price of the drugs to be purchased directly with the suppliers.  Valerio converted some of the cocaine obtained from these suppliers into crack cocaine at his residence in Glen Burnie.  Valerio’s customers, including Wosk, McCants, Herring, Bookhamer, Gaines, Desormeaux, and others, were in direct contact with Valerio to coordinate the purchase of heroin, cocaine, or crack cocaine.  Valerio arranged for the price and quantity of these drug transactions and either met with the customers personally or directed Rosario or Mateo to conduct the transactions.

From March through July 2014, Valerio and his co-conspirators were intercepted in telephone calls and text messages discussing their drug trafficking activities.  Law enforcement also observed Valerio meeting with his co-conspirators to conduct drug transactions.

On July 23, 2014, investigators executed search warrants at residences of the co-conspirators and other locations connected with the conspiracy.  From Valerio’s home law enforcement recovered: two hydraulic presses; spoons with cocaine residue; drug paraphernalia including cutting agent and packaging material; a hand press; approximately 30.9 grams of cocaine; and $24,000 in cash.  From Bookhamer’s home in Baltimore law enforcement recovered: $7,108 in cash; plastic bags with approximately 22 grams of cocaine; drug paraphernalia and packaging materials; a .45 caliber handgun with two magazines; a rifle with a large capacity magazine; a box of .45 caliber ammunition; and multiple cell phones. Investigators recovered from Mateo and Rosario’s home in Pikesville: a six ton shop press, a dye press, five bundles of heroin (totaling approximately 11.7 grams), scales with cocaine reside, marijuana seeds, and twenty marijuana plants.

James Maurice McCants, age 43, of Baltimore, was sentenced to 92 months in prison; Joseph Melendez, age 28, of Brooklyn, New York, and Marc Gaston, age 37, of New York, New York, were each sentenced to five years in prison; Moises Rosario, age 33, and Eddie Eusebio Mateo, age 31,both of Pikesville, Maryland, were sentenced to two years in prison and 18 months in prison, respectively; Keith Joseph Herring, age 27, of White Marsh, Maryland, was sentenced to 21 months in prison; and Robert Bookhamer, age 37, of Baltimore, was sentenced to time served.  

Dartanon Antione Gaines, age 36, of Owings Mills, Maryland, Ronald Francis Wosk, Jr., age 29, of Baltimore, and Marvin Michael Desormeaux, age 41, of Aberdeen, Maryland, also pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing. 

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the DEA and Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth S. Clark, who is prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.