DC Dealer Gets 20 Months for Fentanyl Flood

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Maurice Tutt, 52, is headed to federal prison for 20 months after admitting he peddled hundreds of deadly fentanyl pills on the streets of Southeast Washington. The D.C. man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, stemming from a months-long operation centered around the Potomac Gardens Housing Project. The sentencing, handed down by Judge Timothy J. Kelly, also includes three years of supervised release.

Federal investigators pieced together Tutt’s scheme using intercepted phone calls and text messages. As early as April 20, 2024, Tutt was arranging monthly deliveries of up to 500 “blues” – street slang for fentanyl pills – with a co-conspirator. The pair haggled over pricing, and Tutt routinely placed orders, demanding exact counts.

The texts show Tutt’s precision and concern for quantity. On April 25th, he demanded “500 of ‘em,” calculating the price during a phone call. When a delivery arrived short—487 pills instead of 500—Tutt immediately flagged the discrepancy, and the co-conspirator promised to make up the difference. Similar shortfalls were noted on May 24th (404 pills) and June 5th (300 pills).

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro didn’t mince words about the case. “Maurice Tutt bought fentanyl pills by the hundreds and sold them on the streets of Washington…Each one of those pills was a potential death sentence,” she stated. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities haven’t ruled out further charges against Tutt’s co-conspirator.