Member of Baltimore Cocaine Conspiracy Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison

Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake, sentenced Deshawn Steven Yarborough, age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 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; Interim Commissioner Kevin Davis of the Baltimore Police Department; Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.

According to his plea agreement, from December 2013 through April 2014, Yarborough was a member of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, along with Tyrone Robert Bailey, Lamont George Thomas, and others.  As part of the conspiracy, Yarborough obtained kilograms of cocaine from a New York supplier.  Law enforcement intercepted drug related calls and text messages through court-ordered wiretaps on Yarborough’s phones.

For example on March 10, 2014, Yarborough was overheard talking to Bailey about Bailey’s plans to travel to New York that day with co-conspirator Lamont Thomas in order to obtain cocaine. Later that day, as Bailey returned from New York, Maryland State Police conducted a traffic stop of Bailey’s pick-up truck for speeding.  Lamont Thomas was driving the vehicle and Bailey was the front seat passenger.  After a K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics, law enforcement located an electronically controlled false compartment in the seat back of the rear bench seat.  The compartment contained approximately 4.2 kilograms of cocaine.  Law enforcement recovered $1,600 in cash and multiple cell phones from Bailey.  One of the cell phones was the phone Bailey used to talk to Yarborough.

On March 11, 2014, investigators intercepted communications between Yarborough and his Baltimore-based customers, which indicated that Yarborough was waiting to be resupplied with drugs.  After Thomas and Bailey’s arrest by Maryland State Police, Yarborough attempted to contact Bailey on one of the telephones law enforcement had seized from Bailey at the time of his arrest.

Yarborough admitted that during his participation in the conspiracy he was responsible for the distribution of between five and 15 kilograms of cocaine

Tyrone Robert Bailey, age 28, and Lamont G. Thomas, age 34, both of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and were each sentenced to 10 years in prison.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the DEA, Baltimore Police Department, Maryland State Police, and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Romano, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.