Nottingham Man Convicted Of Conspiracy To Distribute Cocaine

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          Contact ELIZABETH MORSE

www.justice.gov/usao/md                                                                 at (410) 209-4885

Baltimore, Maryland – On March 8, 2018, a federal jury convicted Corey Hammond, age 30, of Nottingham, Maryland of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.

The conviction was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Darryl DeSousa of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police.

Evidence presented at the four-day trial included intercepted coded cellular telephone calls in which Hammond discussed with another co-conspirator “2 Peyton Mannings,” which an expert Task Force Officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) interpreted to mean a kilogram of cocaine.  Peyton Manning’s jersey was 18.  18 ounces of cocaine equals 504 grams or one-half a kilogram.    The jury also saw an intercepted text message from yet another co-conspirator which read:  “256000 total at 32000.”  Evidence at trial established the price of each kilogram of cocaine was valued at $32,000.  The text message, according to the sender of the text and who testified at trial, represented 8 kilograms: 256,000 divided by 32,000 equals 8.  Upon receiving the text, Hammond sent a text of his own, which read “Don’t Text. We already agreed.  We’re on the same page.”

During the course of the trial, the jury also saw evidence of a seizure of almost 15 kilograms of cocaine, along with more than $520,000 in cash seized from Hammond’s co-conspirators.

Hammond, who previously had been convicted of a narcotics related offense in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is facing a minimum mandatory sentence of 20 years, without parole.

Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the DEA, the Baltimore City and Baltimore County Police Departments for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Romano and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Hann, who prosecuted the case.