Adrian Spence AKA ‘AJ’ Gets 10 Years for Heroin Ring

Baltimore County drug boss Adrian Spence, 28, known on the street as ‘AJ’ and ‘SP,’ is headed to federal prison for a decade after admitting his role in flooding the region with heroin. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett slammed Spence with a 10-year prison sentence, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin. The ruling marks the end of a sprawling federal investigation into one of Baltimore’s most active street-level narcotics networks.

Spence, of Baltimore, Maryland, also faces financial ruin after Judge Bennett ordered the forfeiture of $26,320 in cash seized during a search of his home on July 31, 2015. That raid, conducted under a federal warrant, uncovered bundles of cash, cell phones, and other evidence tying Spence directly to the day-to-day operations of a heroin trafficking crew operating across Baltimore County. The money seized was deemed proceeds of the illegal drug trade.

According to court documents filed as part of his plea agreement, Spence was more than just a dealer—he was the leader. Wiretaps and recorded calls revealed Spence directing underlings to ‘start stomping on it’ and ‘crushing it down,’ code for cutting and preparing raw heroin for resale. He also orchestrated supply chains, negotiating with suppliers to keep the poison flowing into neighborhoods already ravaged by addiction and violence.

Spence admitted that between one and three kilograms of heroin were distributed as part of the conspiracy he led—a staggering volume that fueled countless overdoses and destabilized entire communities. He further acknowledged leading a drug trafficking organization composed of more than five members, cementing his role as an organizer under federal sentencing guidelines, which carry stiffer penalties for leadership.

The takedown was the result of a multi-agency dragnet involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and local law enforcement from both Baltimore City and County. State’s Attorneys Marilyn J. Mosby and Scott Shellenberger lent prosecutorial muscle, while U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the collaboration as critical to dismantling the network.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason D. Medinger, Christina Hoffman, and Daniel C. Gardner handled the prosecution under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. Rosenstein commended their work, saying the sentence sends a clear message: those who profit from the heroin epidemic will face federal time. For Spence, that time is 120 months behind bars—paid in full for his role in the deadly trade.