Baltimore Kingpin Dunaway Gets 12 Years for Fentanyl & Coke

Baltimore, MD – Khalil Dunaway, 29, of Baltimore, Maryland, is headed to federal prison for a full 12 years, followed by five years of supervised release, after being convicted of possessing with intent to distribute a deadly cocktail of fentanyl and cocaine. The sentence was handed down today, marking a significant blow to drug trafficking operations in Baltimore County.

U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, alongside Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, and Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD) Chief Robert McCullough, announced the sentencing. The case stemmed from a November 2023 BCPD investigation that revealed Dunaway’s blatant, open-air drug dealing. Detectives observed a disturbing pattern: daytime operations out of a Pikesville residence, nighttime activity at a Middle River address, and then a return to Pikesville to repeat the cycle.

The December 18, 2023 raids on both locations uncovered a disturbing arsenal and a significant quantity of narcotics. At the Pikesville residence, investigators seized a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol, a Taurus Ultra-Light .38 caliber pistol, a camouflaged AR-15 style ghost gun rifle, a Glock switch, and a stockpile of magazines and ammunition. But the guns weren’t the half of it. Cops also found approximately 969 grams of fentanyl, packaged and ready to hit the streets, and a staggering 1273 grams of cocaine, some of it already bagged for sale. The scene resembled a full-scale narcotics packaging operation, complete with sifters, respirators, goggles, digital scales, kilo presses, and cutting agents.

The Middle River residence offered no respite. Investigators found a Glock 33 .357 caliber pistol, a Glock 21 .45 caliber pistol (stolen from Georgia, no less), another Smith & Wesson .40, and a loaded Rossi .22 revolver. Alongside the firearms were 63 grams of fentanyl and 145 grams of cocaine. But Dunaway wasn’t just dealing in poison; he was living large. Law enforcement discovered approximately $63,128 in assorted jewelry, including silver ingots and watches, plus a cool $32,042 in cash. Multiple phones and 60 suboxone strips were also recovered from his vehicle.

Adding another layer to the grim picture, security camera footage from the Pikesville location between October and December 2023 showed Dunaway routinely mixing, preparing, and packaging narcotics while wearing a respirator – a clear indication of the dangers he knowingly exposed others to. This wasn’t a small-time operation; it was a calculated, cold-blooded effort to profit from addiction and misery.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal initiative designed to reduce violent crime and gun violence. U.S. Attorney Hayes praised the DEA and BCPD for their relentless work, and Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. O’Donohue III for his successful prosecution. For those seeking more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, visit justice.gov/usao-md or justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.