Albert Shields, Fentanyl Trafficking, Maryland 2019

In a major blow to the Master P drug trafficking organization operating in West Baltimore, Albert Shields, age 52, of Baltimore, Maryland pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, in relation to the organization.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Secretary Robert Green of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

According to his guilty plea, in November 2019, Shields participated in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin as a member of the Master P drug trafficking organization (DTO). As a result of a 2019 OCDETF Strike Force investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Shields was identified as associates of the Master P DTO.

Between October 2019 and April 2020, investigators intercepted DTO communications and observed Shields and other conspirators conducting hand-to-hand drug transactions. The observations and calls, including conversations conducted on Shields’ cell phone, established that the DTO sold narcotics on a daily basis.

As stated in his plea agreement, investigators made several controlled narcotics purchases from conspirators, including Shields, who either advertised that their narcotics were from the Master P DTO or were intercepted discussing drug trafficking. For example, in December 2019, Shields sold 20 gel capsules of fentanyl to an undercover police officer.

Shields faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for June 14, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

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